Dark Serenade of the Raven
by Serenade the Arbiter
Summary: Raven's mysterious Guardian returns after a long hold out battle against Skath. Can they put aside his past and her future, for the sake of forgiveness? Some craziness/randomness that may not be tolerated by some readers, such as talking magical chihuahuas.
1. Azarath's Honor Guardian

Hell, my fault really. I accidentally deleted the wrong story... gotta start all over again, not really but still! Mostly will remain the same; just a FYI for those who read this story before, before I deleted it! Here we go again... Blah... luckily for me I keep backup.

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><p><strong>- Chapter 1 -<strong>

**- Azarath's Honor Guardian -**

- Four Years before the initial "Go" Event and existence of the Teen Titans -

- Azarath -

Demon invaders charge through a gaping hole in the temple's defensive walls, pouring into the courtyard. The last of the Azarath army, mostly pacifist monks, engaged the invaders, in hopes of holding the line. But monks were not warriors and the remaining military forces of Azarath were vastly out numbered by the masses of demon invaders; who now storm through the temple's chambers and halls. Each of them looking for one thing. The Jewel...

Raven, thirteen at the time, was in her room with her final defense; a being with the name of **Serenade** who had a title "Arbiter" and was the Honor Guardian of Azarath. Much was unknown about him except for the fact that he was one of the most powerful people she knew, or by the words of her mother and the Hierarchs. Just like an Azarath he wore a cloak but his was neutral grey and like hers, his hood was over head, all the time, never has she even seen him without it or his face.

Serenade turns to the door, "Raven open the portal to Earth and escape; just as your mother spoke earlier," his noble honor bound voice said as his head went on the door. The door is slammed from the other side, surprisingly the hinges hold, "Hurry!"

She nods quickly slightly scared, "A-a-azarath Metrion..." she chants as she reads from a book, contueing the spell.

The pounding on the door grows ever more powerful and the door warps more with each blow. Serenade quickly puts his back against the wall and pushes back at the door to buy more time.

"... Neferor Zinthos!" Raven chants out loudly at the spells end.

The portal rips open swirling out purple and black energies like a mystical whirlpool giving an ominous purple hazy glow. Raven looks from her book to the portal that shined in front of her, surprised, bedazzled. _I done it... I opened the por-_

The door crackles loudly with splinters of wood shower the floor and upon Serenade, "Go into the portal!" he shouts with shoulder against the door bracing it.

She quickly glances to him, "Come on!" she urges waiting for him first.

"I a-" the door is slammed and he staggers back briefly. He recovers instantaneously and shoves his shoulder back into the door, "... am not going."

Her eyes widened slightly, "You can't let me go by myself!" she shrieks, "I am..." she looked down going silent, "Afraid..."

"I am sorry that I cannot go with you Raven, but I am the Honor Guardian. It's my duty to watch over the royal family; which is you and the Seeress, your mother Arella," he somewhat regretfully explains, "You will be out of the reach of Skath's hands on Earth for some time, but the Seeress needs my help now..."

She nods lightly understanding, but the fearful expression on her face still remained for never has she ever ventured anywhere without her mother or Serenade by her side.

"I am still small though..." she pouts softly hoping to suede him to go. _Don't let me go alone... please..._

He looks over his shoulder to scared stiff thirteen year old Raven. He sighs reluctantly before turning his whole body to her, letting off of the door. "You have learned a lot from the Seeress, Raven, you will be fine on Earth..." he assures, "Now g-"

The door explodes open in a fiery explosion of shrapnel, the demons rush in immediately with a few ignoring Serenade. "Get the Seeress's daughter, the Jewel!" One roars over the stampeding horde.

Drawing out Twin Hooks or hook swords, used by the Shaolin Monks of China, he shouts, "Go!"

He engages the first wave of the demons, but more focused on the ones closest to Raven. As for Raven, she just stared and watched for a while; rarely had she ever seen him fight. He takes most of the lesser demons out easily with a single swift slash in his somewhat uncanny elegant ballet of swift sword play. She finds herself a little spellbound by the deadly blade ballet, but was immediately snapped out when his blades clashed and locked with a larger and more powerful demon's scythe.

_"He is poweful because of being a good... swordsman?"_

At the corner of his eye he sees Raven still standing near the portal staring, just staring at him fighting shaking like a chihuahua, "Don't worry about me!" he snarls throwing off the demon's scythe.

"The Jewel is mine!" some short tattered hobo dressed stony goblin shouts a few feet from Raven. She shot a look to the goblin that was eyeing her with massive phlegm green colored sinister eyes locked on her and grungy little hands with stubby fingers moving cynically.

Her eyes widened especially seeing herself within the goblin's eyes, she screams as the goblin lunges at her with open arms, "Hehehehe... HEEE! The Jewel is Mi-!" He jolts once with his phlegm green eyes rolling back into his skull before he falls to her feet with a gaping pot hole in his back.

"Damn it Raven, go!" Serenade growls with arm extended out with palm out. The demons jump him from all around dog piling him like a quarter back with no offensive linemen.

She gasps out loudly with a few vases and windows breaking within the room, "Sere-!"

With a bloom of black energy the demons are sent flying all around, "I am the Arbiter!" Serenade roars loudly immolating with the neon black energy. He looks to Raven with piercing eyes shooting daggers of annoyance at her and comes stomping to her. The demons jump from the sides, but before they can even hope for the thought of any attack they found themselves kissing the floor with their own tainted oddly colored blood and the blood of others that they laid beside with, who were also dead.

He comes up to her towering above her like an obelisk, just staring down upon her still shooting the daggers of annoyance at her. Without warning he grabs her with one hand and tosses her into the portal without any effort. Round and round she went with a scream; until she disappeared in the center with a blinding flash. The portal closes and the demons encircle him from behind.

He sighs bitter-sweetly, "You all are fools thinking that Skath will keep his promise. He will rub you out once he gets what he wants."

He turns seeing the many different demonic faces with death bringing glares bearing and weapons thumping lightly against their hands, ready to be used on him.

"We'll kill you first!" one of the demons chanted triggering the bum rush.

- Dimension 12A -

-Four years Late... Days after the Fear Itself Event -

_"I am the Arbiter!"_

Raven shoots up from her bed startled by the dream with Serenade's last words echoing in mind. She looks around seeing that she is in her room, safe and sound; even though her room is spooky to most and undeniably dark and twisted.

She takes in a deep breath and exhales, "That's the second time I had that dream..." she speaks to herself in her casual monotone voice, "Wait... why am I talking to myself?" She takes a look at her communicator seeing that it was six-thirty in the morning. With a quick shake of her head she lays her head back down into her pillow softly and snuggles back under her blankets. Her eyes close slowly. _ Way too ea-_

The sound of the alarm wailed out with the steady flash of the red light that followed with it. Her eyes shoot open, immediately she jumps out of her bed quickly to her feet, grasps cloak puts it on.

She sighs tiredly, before giving her famous sarcastic, "Great..."

- Azarath -

The once bristling, powerful and flourishing city of Azarath now laid in ruin, plagued with dark sinister skies and four crimson eyes that beamed through their darkness. The last of the Azarath fled into other dimensions except for one who continues the eternal battle... Serenade.

The last of the wave of the fiery minions spawned by Skath was hacked through. Tired beyond even immortal belief Serenade looks up to the four piercing eyes in the sky, "Can't fight your own battles..." he pants deeply, "Skath?"

A cold dark sinister chuckle booms from the dark skies, "I will not waste my energy on a small worm like you..."

"Afraid?" Serenade remarks smugly too keep his morale up. _Where the hell is Cero already!_

Another chuckle comes, "Why continue to fight?" Skath asks with a chilling caring like tone, "It is inevitable to change what is to be destined..."

"Hell I can make up stuff too!" Serenade comments naively, "It is my destiny that I will one day eat some chicken in the future..."

"Amusing... but also foolish..." Skath comments unfazed, "But let me ask you this, do you know what you are protecting?"

"I am protecting Raven, Azarath's next Seeress."

"Of course you are," Skath replies with an cynical chuckle, "Have you not ever wondered why the Azarath people somewhat shunned and feared Raven?"

Serenade thinks on what is said. _Raven didn't really have much friends, hell the only two I know of are me and her mother..._

"You are protecting the key to the end..." Skath then reveals with a climatic like voice, "Not only to Azarath but of Earth too..."

Serenade's eyes squint angered, "I don't believe you..."

"Did you not ever wonder why you are the only Honor Guardian?" Skath questions grimly to make a point, "Or wonder why the hierarch council and the Seeress, Arella, remain secretive about Raven's history around you?"

Serenade growls, "You're trying to fool me!"

"I speak **only** the truth," Skath speaks firmly, "You can still flee with your life..."

Serenade looks away to the ground with a sense of betrayal, "Truth or not, I won't allow you to harm Raven."

"I do not plan to harm my daughter... for I ne-"

Serenade blinks confusedly, "Daughter?" he interrupts stricken.

"Yes, daughter," Skath assures clearly, "Did not Arella disclose that too you?"

_"I am here Master!" _a small little twisted voice speaks to Serenade's mind. But it wasn't one of insanity or conscience.

_"It's about time!"_ Serenade snaps back loudly within his mind, speaking via telepathic.

"Your silence speaks that you are stricken..." Skath comments unaware that Serenade was not even listening to him.

_"... It's hard to pinpoint what dimension you're in Master, let alone get to one that is shrouded by demonic pow-"_

_"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Just get us ou-"_

"So you are speechless?" Skath's voice booms, "Betrayed by the ones you protect?"

_"Master?"_

Serenade looked to the four crimson eyes that beamed through the darkened black sky squinting upon him. "It wouldn't be first time..." he acknowledges Skath casually, "But I won't believe it until it happens and until then I won't let you hurt Raven, regardless if she's your kin or not!"

"Then like Earth and Azarath, you too will meet your demise."

_"Cero, get us the hell out of here now and to Earth!" _Serenade commanded telepathically.

_"As you wish, Master..."_

With a a dark cloud of a purplelish neon black Serenade disappears with the cloud fading away, leaving Skath alone at the ruined Azarath.

"That worm may prove to be a nuisance in the future..." Skath speaks to himself; contemplating his future plans.

- Dimension 12A -

- Yosemite Mountains -

Serenade appears out from the shadowy energy that he left Azarath with, but now finds himself surrounded by Red Woods in the middle of mountains, at the rise of dawn with the morning rays starting to beam through the canopy of the trees.

"Cero wh-" he falls to one knee to the floor exhausted from the eternal struggle with Skath.

"Master are you okay?" Cero asks near him as he looks to him.

He shakily rises to his feet, "Yeah..." he wheezed taking a a couple short steps to a tree, "Just... drained, need to rest," he replies leaning against a trees base.

Serenade then puts his back against the tree and slowly slides down against it to the floor, sitting against the tree panting slightly.

Cero sat down near his Master, "Is there anything that I can do?"

WIth a deep breath and a long exhale, Serenade looks to him, "Hell, you rather as well go find Raven for me, while I rest."

Cero nods quickly, "I won't fail you Master."

Cero disappears into a cloud of the shadowy energy, "Damn, I just hope Raven doesn't get too scared about Cero..."

- Jump City -

Doctor Light once again terrorized the city with his killer flashing display of lights. He stepped out of some rare gem store steadily with no worries, even though the alarm was wailing out.

"Ha! Those fools would never respond this early..." Doctor Light chuckled confidently, "Now I can-"

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be stealing?" Robin announces perched on top of a stop light post looking down to Doctor Light.

The others came into battle position, except for Beast Boy who trudged to the scene as a tired blood hound. He morphed out, giving out a long yawn, "Seriously dude... too early..." he comments half asleep, drowsy with eyes drooping closed.

Doctor Light chuckled, "Well you know what they say..." he starts cynically bringing up his light blasters, "Rise and SHINE!" he roars blasting out beams of light. The team scattered, Beast Boy however remained standing still, asleep, getting blasted back into a passing bus. "That should wake you up!" Doctor Light remarked smugly.

Raven energmelds from behind the unsuspecting Doctor Light, "I don't have time for this... we're all still half asleep..." she mutters wearily starting to turn into her towering sinister self to scare him like the last time.

Doctor Light was swept off his feet by shadow energy and thrown into a reinforced concrete structure, all done within mere seconds. Raven came back to her normal self, uncertain what just happened. _What the heck was that? Did I do that?_

"Are you Raven?" a small voice asks by her.

She spins around once not seeing anyone, her eyes shift from side to side, "Uh... who wants to know?"

Doctor Light gets backed up a little dazed before shaking his head, "How dare you throw m-"

"Silence fool!" the small voice barks loudly with a newspaper vending machine bashing Doctor Light in the back, who then stumbles forward bumping into Cyborg who looked down with smug smirk before punching Doctor Light to the floor with a hook.

"Boo-yeah!" Cyborg then triumphantly hollers.

Raven looks to the floor, where the voice came from, what she saw was a little midget black chihuahua that was too small to be even the runt of the litter, with the shadow energy used to throw Doctor Light gleaming from its eyes. She then rubs her temples with closed eyes a little annoyed at this new oddity. _Great now there's a magical talking chihuahua... Just what we need another pet at the tower... Hope this one isn't as annoying as Beast Boy._

She let out a sigh before looking down to the chihuahua, "Why do you need to know exactly?" she monotones as usual, "And who are you?"

The little black dog sits, "I am Cero," he reveals straight out, "My Master searches for one named Raven after retreating from an eternal battle with a demon named Skath."

The glum docile look on Raven's face and within her eyes became stricken with fear hearing her fathers cover name. _Who the heck is his Master and how does he know me and my father?_

Cero waited for reply as he stared back to Raven with massive satellite ears focused at her, "Raven is this tiny canine your pet?" Starfire asks landing nearby Raven looking at Cero.

"So you are Raven?" Cero states jumping to his feet.

"Yes..." Raven answers slightly resentful.

Starfire scoops up Cero, "Oh he's soooo... cute!" she coes sweetly snuggling him within her arms.

Robin steps to the two, "Uh... can you please tell us why there's a talking chihuahua?"

Cero disappears out of Starfire's grasp in a cloud of black mist and appears within the shadow of Raven. He shook out his body to recover from Starfire's tight snuggling.

"Hey! He uses that weird creepy shadowy magic like Raven too!" Beast Boy blurts out pointing at Cero. Raven glares at him, "Uh... but it's uh... somewhat helpful?" he comments sheepishly wanting to avoid a beating.

Robin crossed his arms disgruntled like, "Again, why is there a talking chihuahua that does shadow magic?"

"I believe it's an old pet of Raven," Starfire answers on assumption, "One from her home world of, Azarath, if I am uncorrected..."

"No..." Cero informs, "Raven is not my Master."

"Then who is?" Raven asks with a bit of suspense cracking through her monotone.

"I am not at liberty to speak my Master's name for I honor calling him my Master," Cero rejects lightly, "However, his name is that of a synonym of the word sing..."

"Oh! Oh!" Beast Boy hollered squeezing his way in front of Robin and Cyborg, "I love sherades! Is it Emo?"

"No..." Cero replies with a light shake of his head, "Plus, that's a type of music not a syn-"

"R&B?" Beast Boy blurts out.

"No, again that's a-"

With a snap of his fingers, "I got it! It's Techno..." Beast Boy then guesses way off once more.

Cero sighs, "No..." Cero tilts his head looking to Beast Boy with a bit of wonder. _Is this green gremlin looking being an idiot? Or is it that he's just naturally naive?_

"Okay then, it has to be, Death Me-" something thuds the back of his head.

"Shut up already!" Raven growls after whacking him in the head.

"Ummm... is the word you seek serenade?" Starfire asks a little sheepish.

Cero's head turns to the red head female, that obviously did not have the scent of a human, "Yes..." Cero yips standing up on his fours.

Beast Boy shakes off his daze from Raven's hit to the head, "Serenade?" he then blurts out obnoxiously as usual, "What kind of name is that?"

Raven blinked numbly, "Where is he?" she said calmly maintaining herself.

"The Master is resting in a woodland area, Yosimite to be exact..."

Silence goes by for a few seconds the others then looked to Raven. Robin steps up breaking the silence, "Uh, I am guessing you want us to go get this Sere-"

"No." Raven rejects monotone, "I have to go alone."

Robin's eyes opened slightly surprised, "Why?"

Raven turns away pulling hood overhead, "I just got too..."

Starfire steps up to her resting one hand on Raven's shoulder, "But we are a team and we also wish to assis-"

Raven shrugs off Starfire's hand, "I... I just got to..." she replies before energymelding.

The team remains very concerned, however the concern feeling was washed away as they looked to the small black chihuahua that remained with them.

"Uh..." Cyborg started a little uncomfortable, it wasn't everyday that he talked with magical talking chihuahua's, "Shouldn't you go too? I mean he's your master after all..."

Cero sits once more, "No..."

"Okay, now what?" Beast Boy comments uneasily looking to Cero staring back at him with tilted head, gold beady like eyes and massive satellite ears focused on him.

Cero continues his stare at Beast Boy.

_What will the Master do now...?_

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><p>Hope I can at least improve the story from before I deleted it! Damn you Tequila... anyway leave commentsreviews. Thanks...


	2. Serenade and Cero

Super leaping flying fish of death! Gotta put something here so story format isn't altered. I hate that...

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><p><strong>- Chapter 2 -<strong>

**- Serenade and Cero -**

- Yosemite Mountains -

Raven energymelds finding herself in some random part of Yosemite, within its woodland terrain. She looks around seeing nothing but the massive towering Sequoias all around and some shrubs that spotted the area. She sighs quickly a little annoyed. _I should've let Cero take me to Serenade instead..._

She crosses her legs levitating in a sitting meditating position, with eyes closed along with the usual "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" chant she focuses her energy into herself. Seconds later she has a third person view of the world around her, capable by her Soul Searching ability. Instantly her spiritual being flashes forward in a random direction; passing through trees and other obstacles in her search for Serenade.

_I just got to find his location and then I can just teleport to him._

- Jump City -

The police took away Doctor Light in thier patty wagon like vehicle. What would usually be a typical decision to either go eat pizza or head back to the tower after a battle, however it wasn't due to Cero's presence and Raven's absence...

Beast Boy scratches the back of his head as he yawns. "So uh... are we going back to the tower?" Beast Boy then asks looking to Cero. _That little dog is even more creepier than Raven... never thought anything would ever be._

Thoughtfuly Robin puts a hand to his chin, "I don't know, Raven seemed to be shaken up by this Serenade guy or girl..."

"The Master is a male, though he may have long mane like a females," Cero informed out of the blue startling Beast Boy and grabing everyone's attention.

"Anyway, I think we should help Raven look for Serenade," Robin finishes his sentence.

"Don't ya think that if Raven wanted our help she wouldn't have told us not to help her?" Cyborg reminds.

"But I too am worried about freind Raven, what if she is in need of assistance?" Starfire comments her concern, "What if the mountains of Yosemite are too large for her?"

"Raven will find the Master," Cero states somewhat ominous like a mysteriious fortune tellar, "It may take an hour or two, but she'll will find the Master."

"How do you know?" Robin asks looking to Cero suspiciously.

"Who cares?" Cyborg says a little restless, "Let's just go back to the tower and eat something!"

"Forget eating! I just want to sleep!" Beast Boy adds tiredly.

"But what of Cero?" Starfire asks steping near the midget of a chihuahua, "Where shall he go?"

"I guess he can come to the tower with us..." Robin answers logically, "Seeing that Raven is most likely going to bring Serenade to the tower."

Cero gets to his feet quickly, "The tower?"

"Yeah..." Beast Boy yawned, "You know the big one..."

"Okay..." Cero replies with a nod. Without a word shadows engulf the five and then fade away, just as quickly as they came. Cero sits, "Strange place to have your base at the Eifel Tower..." he comments sitting back down.

"Say what?" Cyborg exclaims looking around all over.

Starfire looks around seeing some french people walking about with there little hats and poodles, "I think you may have obtained the confusion, we reside in the Tower of Titan. Our home..."

"Wait hold on dudes, I think we should take a vacation!" Beast Boy announced happily.

Cyborg looks to Beast Boy, who all of the sudden was awake now, "I thought you said you were tired?"

"Yeah!" Beast Boy shouts giddily, "Gonna rest here on vaca-"

"No," Robin rejects, "Cero get us back to Jump City."

Cero tilts his head unknowingly, "Jump City?"

"The place we we're just at," Cyborg adds.

"I thought it was San Francisco... but okay..." _Must be different in this Dimension._

Again the five are engulfed in the shadows...

- Yosemite Mountains -

Two hours pass as Raven continues her soul search for Serenade. During so she was surprised that she was capable of prolonging so long without rest. Her soul zips pass a lake where at the corner of her eye she spots somebody laying down. Without a second thought she teleported herself to the location where both body and soul reunited. She came lightly back to the ground from her crosslegged meditation, quickly she gets up and searches. _I saw him... he's around here somewhere..._

The sound of light waves caught her ear and turns to see a lake nearby, but spots something familiar within the water; the neutral grey cloak swaying in the water's current. "No..." she said quietly, "He's dro-" Some fish were nibbling on him, he moved his hands to shoo them away as if they flies before going back to his faced down laying position.

She then noticed that he was breathing, underwater, "Is he... sleeping?"

Hearing a warped voice from underwater he jumps up with the water exploding upward, "If you do not wi-" he sees the blue cloak then wips his face from the water dripping from his eyes, "Raven?" he asks squinting as his eyes attempt to gain focus.

Not knowing what to say or even how to say it, she just gave a small wave along with a sheepish smile, "Uh... Hi?"

He shook his head with a bit of water flying off of him, "It is you..." he speaks in awe going down on knee.

A tint of blush came over her as she looked at him uncomfrotably, "Please don't bow down to me..."

"I'm not," he informs breathing deeply, "The battle against Skath has drained me severely, I am barely able to stand, let alone talk."

She ingores her father's cover name, "Are you hurt?" she asks kneeling next to him, "I can heal you a bit, if you are."

"You can't heal me..."

"Yes, I can," she monotones firmly, "I may not possess the healing powers of my mother but I do know a few he-"

"No, you can't heal me," he says again, "I am... burdened, no healing magic or power can heal me." He then lays on the floor once more, "Just need some rest..."

"Let me get you to my home, you can r-" she stopped seeing that he was already sleeping, "Great..."

- Titan Tower -

Cero was sitting on the sofa silently with eyes closed. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire looked at him from across the room; Robin on the other hand, was doing some research on the computer terminal as usual.

"Do you think he is meditating as Raven does on a regular basis?" Starfire asks the two silent like.

"I don't know..." Cyborg shrugs just as silent, "Beast Boy why don't you go ask?"

"No way!" Beast Boy rejects loudly, "If he's like Raven I don't want to even go near him, let alone bug him in his mediterranean or whatever!"

Cero's ears perked up slightly, "Raven returns with the Master..." Cero informs out of the blue.

Moments later Raven's energy rips out into a swirling worm hole with both her and Serenade emerging from it. Raven stood but Serenade was still laying on the floor sleeping.

"Raven!" Starfire greets her grateful happy go lucky self, "Where is your friend Serenade?" Raven looked to floor which then Starfire spots him, "Is he de-"

"No..." Cero states jumping to the floor, "The Master is severely drained."

Beast Boy and Cyborg come to see Serenade, but the only thing they can make out was that there was some tall guy hidden under a cloak, just like Raven.

"Great..." Beast Boy sighs distasteful, "He's just like Raven, he's has that cape thingy-"

Serenade stirs, "It's called a cloak..." he speaks picking himself up from the ground slowly. He stands up nearly matching Cyborg's height, "How am I like Raven?"

Beast Boy found himself on the spot, "Uh..." he stalled.

"Master are you okay?" Cero asks looking up to Serenade, "You seem barely able to stand."

With a quick deep breath, Serenade replies, "I am still drained from my battle..."

Starfire steps in front of Serenade, "Greetings Serenade, I am Starfire, friend of Raven!" she announces eagerly, "Please allow me to show you hospitality of Earth!"

"Uh... okay..." Serenade comments a little awkwardly. He then looks around seeing the different people around him.

_There's some red head chick that's obviously not from Earth, an android, some green elf looking guy and a tri-color person; who now that I think about it looks like a traffic signal; how odd... but then again Cero is a talking chihuahua, doesn't get any more odder than that._

Everyone is in silence, staring at the Serenade, waiting for something to be said or done.

"Okay then..." Robin comments awkwardly with a sheepish grimace, "I guess I''ll introduce myself... I am Ro-"

"The Master needs to rest," Cero interrupts, "Not to be rude or anything, but fighting for years straight without sleep or rest, has taken its toll, physically and mentally."

"Yeah, what Cero said..." Serenade agrees shaking his head quickly again, "I am going to pass out..."

"You can sleep in my room..." Raven offers but soon finds that the others staring at her with a mixture of faces. A small blush comes over her feeling she was on the spot, "What?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I need to find somewhere with an abundance of water," Serenade says.

"The Tower is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean," Cyborg reveals, "Is that good enough?"

"That's perfect..." Serenade says fatigued.

"Why do you need water for?" Beast Boy asks curiously as usual.

"Water boosts my regeneration rates greatly, which I am in need direly of..." Serenade answers before looking to Cero, "Cero, get me outside..."

Cero nods obediently and the two are engulfed by Cero's shadow power. The team looked to each other seeing that Serenade and Cero left the room. Mostly everyone had a thoughtful look thinking on Serenade's words in the short time he's been here.

Raven sighed somewhat relieved... _That may explain why he was underwater, when I found him at Yosemite._

Cyborg looks to his monitors, for no apparent reason... _Boost regeneration rates? What is he some type of android or something too? But if so, why didn't my sensors detect any awkward signals?_

Robin remains at the terminal, pretending to research stuff as he randomly typed keys. _Hmm... Serenade... don't really like not knowing much about anyone, there's got to be some information about him somewhere..._

Starfire looked to Raven thinking about Raven offering Serenade to sleep in her room. _Does friend Raven smitten with this Serenade?_

Beast Boy looks around during the silence, "So uh..." he starts uncertain, "What's going to happen now?"

"About what?" Cyborg replies looking away from his monitors to Beast Boy.

"You know, the creepy chihuahua and Dark Side Samurai guy..."

"I do not perceive Cero as creepy..." Starfire objects, "He's quite cuddly and cute, if I may say."

"Yeah, until he does something sinister, like brain controls you!" Beast Boy counters twisted and evil, "Or devours your soul making you a soulless slave..." he adds darkly.

"I never attempted to devour a soul before..." Cero states behind Beast Boy, who jumps up spooked.

"Stop doing that!" Beast Boy shrieks hiding behind Cyborg, "I hate that!"

"Why are you hiding behind me for?" Cyborg asks side stepping away from Beast Boy, "I don't think Cero's going to do anything to you... or at least not yet..."

"What do you mean **not yet**?" Beast Boy says, which then starts a bunch of nonsense bickering between the two, as they usually would do on the daily basis.

Raven cracks a small smile that lasts for a few seconds before she walks away not wanting to hear the two's excessive bickering. _Maybe having Cero around might be a good thing after all... now I have something to scare Beast Boy with and keep him away from me..._

Seeing that Beast Boy and Cyborg were mindlessly bickering, Cero looks to Robin and Starfire. _I guess I shall seek whatever information I can now from these two..._

"So uh Robin..." Cero starts, "What is it that you do?"

Robin looks to Cero a little strangely not used to the idea that he was talking to a chihuahua, "We are the Teen Titans..." he trails off.

- Titan Tower Shore -

Night fall came over the land and sea. Cero sits patiently as he waits for his Master to awaken from his slumber; even knowing that it would be a very long wait. With nothing else to do but think...

_I wonder why the green one, Beast Boy, fears me for? I am just a talking chihuahua... Obviously it sounds like he watches to much horror shows and movies. Talking about that i am going to devour his soul and wh-_

"What are you doing..." Raven monotones stalling briefly, "Cero?"

"I await my Master to awaken from his slumber." His ears twitch a bit hearing Raven's footsteps come closer, "I can ask the same about you"

"Curious..." she says coolly.

"What is the Master to you, Raven?"

"What?" Raven says confused, "What do you mean?"

"The Master spoke of times during his stay in Azarath as he..." he stopped briefly, "Stood there being an Honor Guard for the Seeress and you. Obviously I wasn't present with the Master. So?"

"The Arbiter was just, well..." she stalled thinking about her past, "Actually was possibly my only friend, that's if he even came close to be counted as one. Of course that's besides being my protector."

Cero rubbernecks his head back looking to Raven, "Really?" he asks a little curious and shocked. "You had no other friends?"

"No," she replies eyes shifting to the ground, "My mother and the counsel weren't fond of me having too much time outside the Temple's walls..."

"Sucks to be royalty in some cases, eh?" Cero replies looking back to the ocean.

_He bought it, I didn't want to tell him about my prophecy. _ "Yup..." Raven monotones casual, "It's late why don't you come inside and sleep?"

"I am a dog," Cero reveals a bit climatic like, "And the others don't seem to accept my presence amoungst them."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you find yourself feeling awkward knowing that you're having a conversation with a chihuahua?"

"Not really, maybe at first, but you sound like a regular person to me; unlike Beast Boy with all his gibberish..." Cero lets out a small chuckle, "Don't let Beast Boy get to you either Cero," Raven adds, "He's just... well... Beast Boy... some claim him to be smart, but I am not entirely sure about that though..." Cero continues to just sit there silently looking to the sea, "If you want you can sleep in my room, I won't mind you being in there," she offers, "Just don't be annoying like Beast Boy."

"I shall keep that in mind Raven."


	3. Mind Paradox

You gotta think my thoughts to know what I am talking about...

* * *

><p><strong>- Chapter 3 -<strong>

**- Mind Paradox -**

- The Tower -

Two weeks pass, the only major things that occurred during this time was the city being in siege by mutant moths along and the evolution of Starfire; which in both cases Cero did not tag along with the team. For he wanted to be near his Master, who yet didn't emerge from his slumber. Morning comes with the team doing their usual routine as most of them grew somewhat used to Cero's presence, though he was a whole lot quieter than Raven.

Cyborg with a stack of waffles soaked in syrup looks to Cero quickly and wondered. _Does that little dog even eat? Haven't seen him eat anything ever since he's been here..._

"Yo! Cero!" Cyborg calls, "You wanna waffle? They're good..." he added with a tempting voice and lip smack.

Cero shook his head lightly, "No thank you, I am waiting for the Master..."

Cyborg tilted his head a little surprised by Cero's reply, "Doesn't mean you can't eat though as you wait... Oh well, more for me then!"

Beast Boy with his tofu substitute breakfast comes to the breakfast nook and sits by Cyborg, "You can't feed him waffles... he has to eat dog food."

"I don't eat dog food..." Cero replies unfazed looking to Beast Boy. He closes his eyes and steadily looks down, "I consume the souls of the broken, the beaten and the damned..." he adds woefully.

Some silence goes by before Raven breaks the silence, "Uhh... Why?" _I thought I was the scary one..._

Cero looks to Raven, "You must ask yourself is enduring a life, or an afterlife, of condemnation worth your while? As opposed to ending it fully without any loose ends?" He then looks to Beast Boy, "You seem close to being broken Beast Boy."

Beast Boy shutters, "Uh... I am not broken!" _Okay, this dog is way scarier than Raven!_

"Really?" Cero replies, "You're soul ripples a feeling of loss and sorrow, as if you lost someone important to you, like a mate..."

Beast Boy grows silent reflecting on the word **mate**; he understood Cero's meaning for he too was animal like, after all his name was **Beast Boy**. A sense of overwhelming grief came to Beast Boy. _Terra... why did you leave for? I-I lov-_

"I can make all the pain and suffering go away," Cero says tantalizing like, "The only thing I ask is that I consume your soul..."

Beast Boy shoots a look to Cero, "No way! You-" he starts but finds Cero has vanished, "Wher-?"

"Beat Boy..." Cero says distant like appearing on the counter beside him. Beast Boy snaps to him seeing Cero's glwoing shadowy eyes peering into his, "First, let me poke your brain..."

WIth a scared yelp Beast Boy falls off backward off his chair hitting the floor, "No stay away!"

"Cero!" Serenade's voice booms through the room, "Stop tormenting the Green One..."

Instantly Cero goes back to normal, "As you wish Master..." he acknowledges.

Everyone looks to Serenade who stood at the main door, leading to the hall. Everyone is silent not knowing what to say to this mysterious being; not even Raven knew what to say and she knew him since her days in Azarath.

Beast Boy gets up shooting to Serenade standing directly in front of him, "Dude, keep your dog in line!" he shouts poking Serenade, "That little rat is try-"

Beast Boy was lobbed onto the couch by shadow energy, "Do **NOT** touch the Master!" Cero barks ending with a growl.

"Hey! Let's calm down here!" Robin intervenes staring at Cero a little grudgingly.

"Yes, please no more hostilities, we are all friends," Starfire adds floating near the couch where Beast Boy was tossed onto.

Beast Boy jumps from the couch to his feet, "That r-" his mouth is muffled by Cyborg's sticky syrupy hand.

"Just let it go BB..." Cyborg advises.

Serenade sighs a little embarrassed. "You have to forgive my little friend. He's a dog and as a dog he has a sense of protecting me, even if it may at times be a little too much."

Starfire once again shot up in front of Serenade, "Is now the correct time for the meet and greet ritual?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Serenade replies, "Aren't you Starlight or something?"

Starfire shakes her head, "You were close to obtaining the cigar, but my name is Starfire..." she corrects nicely, "It is a pleasure to acquaintance you!"

"I am Robin..." the tri-colored guy introduces, "You already know Raven," he then starts before pointing to the android, "That's Cyborg..."

"'Sup!" Cyborg greets.

"... and that's Beast Boy," Robin finishes pointing to the green gremlin looking guy.

Beast Boy didn't say anything for he was still angry at Cero.

"Well then..." Serenade speaks, "I am Serenade the Arbiter."

"It's finally nice to meet you Serenade," Robin replies, "We are team of crime fighters cal-"

"The Teen Titans, yes I know, Cero has given me all the details, telepathically as I slumbered in the ocean," Serenade interrupts Robin.

"You slept in the ocean? How?" Raven asks curiously, finally saying something.

"Are you capable of breathing water, or perhaps shape shifting like Beast Boy?" Starfire adds.

Serenade pulls out his left arm from under the cloak, displaying a small plasma screen monitor like Cyborg's, "No, I have something called the Life Aura which creates a field around me, nulling out all pressure and provides oxygen."

"That's a fancy looking device you got there..." Cyborg comments looking at Serenade's monitor like thing. _Has to be a cyborg too or something like that..._

"Is there anything that needs to be done?" Serenade asks looking to Raven.

"Uh..." she stalls a little on the spot.

"Nope!" Cyborg announces, "Just do whatever, until a loud alarm goes off with some flashing red lights."

"Well if that's the case, I need to rest m-"

"Again?" Beast Boy blurts out, "You slept for two weeks!"

"I rested my body, but my mind needs to be cleared by meditation. Is there anywhere that is out of way? Preferably quiet, dark, cool and not travelled through frequently."

Cyborg snorts a chuckle. "Yeah, Raven's room..."

"Perhaps you can join Raven in her meditation rituals too," Starfire suggests her casual happy go lucky self, "Raven seems to be in need of a pa-".

"The Master's meditation is... differ..." Cero states, "And Raven's room may be too distractive for the Master."

"Cero is right on both counts," Serenade adds spaced out like, "Is there anywhere else?"

"There's the basement..." Robin throws out a possibility.

Raven looks to Robin, "Really now?" she monotones a little shaming, "That's all that you have to offer?"

Serenade shakes his head, "That's good enough for me..." he speaks wearily.

"I'll show you the way," Robin says with Cero and Cyborg tagging long.

Beast Boy grabs his plate of food and retreats somewhere else to eat, leaving both Starfire and Raven in the living room. Starfire noticed that Raven watched Serenade as he disappeared from sight. She wondered. _Is Serenade more to Raven than a friend?_ With that she looks to Raven who was about to get back to her reading.

"Raven can you please converse more about Serenade?" Obviously he meant something to Raven for some unknown reason. "You seem to care about his well being ever since and during his slumber..."

"He's just an old friend... one of my first I had back in my times of Azarath..." she turned away remembering her childhood. He was the only one... She looked to Starfire who seemed to be curious, "It's just been a long time since I seen him..." she adds to mislead Starfire away from more questions, which it fails epically.

"He speaks of being your guardian of your home world, was he always your guardian?"

"No, he came to Azarath when I was seven; usually Azarath hierarchs are not kind to dimensional travelers, but for some reason they let him stay. He called himself the Arbiter and was given the Title as Azarath's Honor Guardian..." she stopped to gather her memories, "Nobody knew anything about him, the only thing that was known, that he was powerful; how powerful is still unknown to me."

"But how did you drift apart?" Starfire asked a little saddly, "Friends shouldn't drift apart..."

Raven turned away, "A war erupted when I was twelve. At the end of the war he was my last defense against the invaders. I opened the portal to this dimension, just as the invaders broke through the doors of my room. I was hesitant to go... but he threw me into it, staying behind..." she summed up quickly. _Why do you ask so many questions for?_

"What happened of your home world?" Starfire asked.

About to sit down Raven froze on the though, "I-I-I don't know..." she replied uncertainly before walking off to her room instead.

"Raven?" Starfire asked the only thing she got was the cold shoulder.

- Basement -

Hours pass, how many was uknown as Serenade meditated in the basement. Cero on the other hand sat quietly listening to the tower...

"Are you crazy? That little dog is going to devour my soul!" Beast Boy exclaims to Robin as he thinks what to do about Serenade; however they were in the conversation was being held on the roof.

"I don't think Serenade would let him, it seems that Cero respects him too much; after all it's his Master..."

"That Serenade dude... he's off..."

"Just because he secretive and a little s-"

"No not like that, I mean that he smells different..."

"Huh? You smelled him?"

"Y-"

"Cero is there something bothering you?" Serenade asks breaking Cero's concentration.

"The green one seems to have detected an oddity to you Master."

Serenade sighs, "Hopefully this dimension is more... **acceptable**..."

"I think it maybe Master. Seeing that Starfire is from a distant planet of Tamaran, Cyborg is, well a cyborg, Raven is an Azarath and Beast Boy is green..."

Serenade gives a quick chuckle, "I guess you maybe right."

Cero looks to his Master, "Did you recognize the way how Raven got somewhat disgruntled when Robin suggested you stay in the basement?" he muses.

"I don't know why you said that Raven's room was too **distractive** for me in the first place..."

"Why you did you agree?"

"I was too out there to even say otherwise..."

"Well then... We both know that Raven will undoubtedly talk to you; let alone herself being a distraction to you."

"What do you mean by **herself**?"

Cero gives a light sigh, "Master you know..."

"I don't know what you are barking at Cero."

"Raven is an adult female, you're an adult male both in a room together; add these factors together and yo-"

"Cero..." Serenade growls angrily, "That's one of the last things on my mind."

"But it is on your mind still, right?"

"Don't make me step on you..." Serenade warns annoyed.

"I will cease the topic then..."

"We both know that I shouldn't have a mate Cero, we know the reason why..."

Cero nods, "Yes, Master."

With a deep breath Serenade returns to his meditation with a single whisper of the words, "When love and death embrace..." before going back to silence.

- Living Room -

The next morning comes, surprisingly Raven was up before most of the others; beside Robin who woke up to watch the sunrise daily, oddly for the sun sets in the West and rises in the East. Anyway...

Raven comes into the living room, on her way for a cup of herbal tea; but upon entering through the door she finds Serenade leaning against a wall near the windows facing the city. She stops briefly unprepared to see him. _Just be yourself... no need to get all worked up over nothing... _Casually she goes to get a cup and then to the herbal tea dispenser. Serenade stood there silently not moving whatsoever._ I should say something..._

She looks to Serenade who seemed to be peering out the window, waiting, "You waiting for something?" she asks a little awkwardly.

"I am on guard..." he replies still looking out the window.

"You're just wasting your time. Usually when something happens we get notified," she took a sip of her tea, "This isn't Azarath you know..."

"I know, but still..."

The thought of Azarath came to her, "So uh, what happened to Azarath?"

Something catches Serenade's attention as his head tilts, "Shh..." he shushed softly. "You hear that?" he then whispers.

The only thing she heard was the buzzing of a fly, at the window, "A fly?"

He went to the window grasping the small fly with his fingers, "No... More like a spy..." he replied looking at the straggling green fly buzzing loudly.

He tossed the fly at the window, it plopped against it with a loud cork popping sound that you get from a Champagne bottle and then spiraled to the ground, the fly morphed into Beast Boy who was dazed with his head spinning around.

"Beast Boy!" Raven shouts with a glare.

A hook sword came down over Beast Boy, "It seems you have a mole in your team..." Serenade speaks holding the twin hook firmly a few inches from his face.

"What? I am not a mole!" Beast Boy shrieks staring at the blade.

"No..." Raven sighs annoyed, "He's just annoying like that..."

"If you say so..." Serenade comments a little suspicious as he sheaths the hook sword back under his claok and goes back to his leaning. _Beast Guy or whatever, may prove to be troublesome..._

Raven looks around noticing that Cero was nowhere to be found, "Where's Cero?"

"I am here," Cero replies behind Serenade, but there was nothing but his shadow.

"Where?" Beast Boy asks getting to his feet ready to retreat.

Cero steps out of his Master's shadow and slowly becomes opaque, "Right here..." he then answers with half his body showing.

"Cero stop showing off..." Serenade comments looking to him.

"But it's fun though..."

"Why are you cut in half for?" Beast Boy asks a little disturbed.

Raven sips her tea. _Hopefully Beast Boy will go away with Cero around..._

"The shadows sorta of give me camouflage..." Cero replies, "Only if I am in the shadows and if I wish to go into shadow camou."

"So you're saying you can go invisible in the darkness?" Beast Boy sums for himself.

Cero steps back into Serenade's shadow disappearing, "I can also shadowmeld..." he starts popping up from behind Beast Boy; who jumps slightly spooked. "Which is sorta like teleporting, but only where and within the shadows, though."

"So you're like Raven?" Beast Boy asks, thinking on all the times Raven used her powers and how Cero's were similar.

"A-" the siren blares out along with red flashing lights, Cero howls for high frequency hurts his ears.

Robin as usual somehow bursts in shouting, "We got trouble!" before dashing off.

"Again in the morning! Really!" Beast Boy pouts before chasing after Robin.

Raven sets cup to the counter and hurries after the two, but stops before exiting the room. _Wait... what about the Arbiter?_ She turns to him, "Uh... are you going to come?"

"Your team won't get upset if I appear?" Serenade replies, "Don't want to get in your guy's way..."

"I pretty sure they won't." _I hope they don't..._

"Very well..." Serenade says standing tall, "We will be there shortly."

"Okay..." Raven replies then goes off.

Cero paws one of his ears, "Doesn't the sound hurt your ears Master?" he whimpers.

"A little..."

* * *

><p>Blah, sorry for delays. College work and other stuff. Thanks for reviews.<p> 


	4. Day One

Cole Train runs on whole grain baby! WOO! Saying random stuff...

* * *

><p>-<strong> Chapter 4 -<strong>

**- Day One -**

- Jump City -

Plasmius, on his usual rampage seeking for foul things to consume, terrorizes the industrial district. Workers from nearby construction sites and the water treatment facility flee from the purple oozing monstrosity that screeched and ripped open sewage pipes and other hazardous containers, chugging down its contents before tossing aside them aside carelessly.

Beast Boy first was to the scene, he shifted after landing on the floor as a hawk. "Awwghhh... Plasmius again?" he pouts with the T-Car pulling next to him. "What's up with this guy, thing, monster... whatever! Waking up all the time? And eating disgusting nasty stuff!"

Cyborg leaps out of the T-Car, "Quit complainin' and do something!" he hollers with right hand quickly retracting to his sonic blaster that erupts a stream of the sonic energy.

The sonic energy hits Plasmius with a bit of him splattering all over the place as he screeched loudly going into a puddle before reforming again, but turned facing to Cyborg. A green barrage of star bolts pelts Plasmius and again he screeched before lobbing out his hands out a Starfire. Seeing Starfire was somewhat unhittable Plasmius quickly turns to Cyborg he kept blasting him with his Sonic Cannon. Both massive sludge arms whip out at Cyborg.

"No, No... Not my-!" Cyborg gets clobbered and collides into his car by the continuous stream of sludge, which was then disrupted by a few explosive disks from Robin. Cyborg covered in purple foul muck looks to his car, "Ah man! I just polished and buffed out its scratches too!" pouts slightly tearful, "Now look at it! Now I got to disinfect it and fix that de-"

"Can we focus on stopping Plasmius first?" Raven interrupts with SUV hovering over head.

Just before throwing the SUV Beast Boy somehow got caught by Plasmius, "Help!" Beast Boy then yelps trying to himself free from the muck dragging him in slowly like quick sand.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire shouts halting another star bolt barrage.

Robin yielding his barrage of Cyro-Disk quickly looks to Raven, "Raven you're the only one that can get Beast Boy without hu-!"

Black energy like blades slice Beast Boy out from Plasmius, "As the Master would comment," Cero barked, "What the hell is that?"

Beast Boy ran away and then Plasmius was struck first by Robin's Cyro-Disks, then by Raven's SUV and hit simultaneously by Cyborg's Sonic Blaster and Starfire's Starbolts. Beast Boy morphs out covered in the filth of Plasmius, "Sometimes I hate my job..." he comments slinging some of goo off before going into a wolf and shaking it off.

Starfire stops her attack seeing a shroud of grey smoke over the area where Plasmius stood, "Is Plasmius defeated?"

"No..." Cero replies walking closer to the smoking area.

"Cero! Whatya doing? Get back from that... thing!" Cyborg hollers waiting for Plasmius to pop up or something.

As expected Plasmius comes stomping out with a screech, "Hey gruesome down here!" Cero barks looking up to the towering Plasmius.

Plasmius looks down to the small dog and for some reason for the first time Plasmius laughs at Cero.

"Is Plasmius... laughing?" Robin comments a little shocked.

Beast Boy opens his mouth, "Dude... I didn't even know he was able to la-"

"Hey! Don't laugh at me!" Cero barks with a newspaper dispenser ripping from the sidewalk and prying Plasmius in the face. Plasmius shakes his head and lobs the newspaper dispenser back at Cero, which Cero slices in half with his shadow energy, "Now you're no longer ignoring me now!" Cero barks before splitting into four copies of himself.

"There are four of them now!" Beast Boy shrieks with both hands on his head. _Great just what I need four creepy Chihuahua's bugging me!_

Robin a little dazzled shakes the feeling off quickly, he starts to run, "Come on we got t-!"

"Hold on..." Serenade interrupts casually out of the blue, "Let Cero attempt to fight the abomination..."

Everyone looks to Serenade who was near Robin, Raven being the first to shoot a look to him.

"It's about time..." Raven comments monotones her normal self. _He's finally here..._

Starfire looks to Serenade then Cero quickly and back again, "But Cero's stature is no match for Plasmius; surely Cero will be badly injured..." Starfire comments her concern.

"He'll be fine. Trust me." Serenade assures hand to his mouth observing his little comrad.

"Which one is the winner?" Cero taunts Plasmius. Plasmius smites one of the Cero's, "Sorry you lose..." Cero regretfully comments before slicing off one of Plasmius' arms, "Please try again..."

Serenade tuts, "Crazy knucklehead..."

Again Plasmius looses another arm, which was nothing for it regenerated. Plasmius let out roar of frustration before smiting three of the Cero's.

"Hey that's cheating!" Cero barks before amping out a shadowy blast that blasted Plasmius in half. Cero saw some guy within the sludge within the split second before it regenerated, he turns back to the team briefly, "There's someone within the monster!"

"Yeah, that's the real Plasmius, guy, dude or whatever!" Beast Boy informs. _So glad I am not fighting Pla-_

"Ok-" Cero gets smacked and is rolling across the pavement. "Ow..." he comments wincingly as he gets back up to his feet.

"Uh..." Robin starts looking to Serenade, "Are you going to do anything?"

"Yeah... I mean he's your dog..." Cyborg adds.

"Hmm... Giant sludge monster..." Serenade speaks pulling out a shotgun, "8 Gauge Shotgun with Slugs should work..." he ends with a pump of the gun.

The team looks at him slightly surprised with Beast Boy stepping back, "Uh... we don't want to kill him..." Raven informs, "We want him alive..." _A shotgun? I never saw him use a shotgun..._

"Uh yeah what Raven said..." Cyborg adds rubbing the back of his head. _Eight gauge? Heard of twelve and ten... but eight?_

"Oh... than never mind..." Serenade says going slightly quiet withdrawing the gun under his cloak, "Glad you said something that would've been a real screw up."

"Okay, I can use some hints on how to stop this thing for good!" Cero barks after taking another hit.

"Try to target the human part of Plasmius, but don't kill him... knock him out..." Raven answers Cero.

Cero shadowmelds away from Plasmius and is nowhere in sight. Plasmius not seeing Cero anywhere focuses his attention on the team.

Cyborg pulls up blaster, "That little dog bailed on u-!" A small black thing scurries past the team from behind before engulfing into flaming shadowy orb that hopped up smacking Plasmius in the gut.

Through the sludge Cero tackles the human body out from the sludge and takes it down to the floor. The sludge that made Plasmius quickly splashes to the street showing Cero standing on a sleeping guy both covered in the purple muck.

The team was silent. Serenade walks away from the team casually heading to Cero.

"Now that was awesome..." Beast Boy comments breaking the awe in everyone which they then quickly made their way to Cero as well, "Wait! Hold up!"

Starfire was the first to the two, "Cero are you okay?" she asks seeing the little dog pant.

"No..." he pants limping off the body and shakes his body slinging some of the muck off, "Oww... that hurts... a lot."

"Then please let me carry you, for you may no longer be further in pain."

"If that's what you wish..." Cero answers Starfire.

Starfire picks up Cero carefully as the others come, "Is he down?" Beast Boy asks about Plasmius.

"Yup..." Cyborg confirms, "Sleeping like a rock..."

"Good..." Beast Boy replies relieved before sniffing himself. He cringes at the smell of the muck that seeped into his clothes, "Now I got to take like ten baths now..."

Cyborg steps by Robin and Raven, "Tell me about it..." Cyborg adds, "I gotta go the carwash ten times, and I am not just talking about the car you know!"

Robin and Raven step away from Cyborg, "Uh... yeah... you two go do that," Robin starts, "I'll call in the pick-up for Plasmius."

- The Tower, Living Room -

Everyone was busy at the Tower, Cyborg was at the carwash, Beast Boy was taking ten baths as he said he was, Robin typically kept to himself doing who knows what, Starfire was comforting Cero; which lead Raven and Serenade doing nothing. Again Serenade stands looking out the same window at the same spot from earlier that morning.

Thirty minutes passes, Raven pretended to read a book of hers on the sofa as her mind was a little barraged in thought of Serenade's action with the shotgun. She closes the book with a sigh and turns her head to Serenade.

"Uh... Arbiter?" Raven asks a little awkwardly.

Serenade snorts a small laugh, "Just call me Serenade, this isn't Azarath you know..." he replies casually still looking out the window.

Raven finds herself a little blushed with her own words turned against her, "Okay... Serenade..." she then says his name even more awkwardly. _Great... I had to be the one that isn't social..._

He looks to her, "Are you okay?" he asks somewhat strangely as if he was talking to a loon, "You seem... distraught."

Again she finds herself on the spot, "I uh, um..." she prolongs with a glass vase nearby breaking. _Don't act up now!_

"My bad..."

She blinked, "Huh? You didn't do that, I did..."

"Yeah, but I had something to do with it though," he replies thoughtful, "I know that you Azarath's base their powers on emotion. Seeing that you can barely even start up small talk, let alone my name, I have to guess that you're nervous... why?"

Her eyes shift to the ground, "You're... you..."

"And you're Raven..."

"I mean, you're the Arbiter, Azarath's Honor Guardian. Chosen by the Hierarchs and the Seeress to protect Azarath and... me..."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You're supposed to be powerful... why did you pull out a shotgun earlier for?"

He snorts a laugh, "Disappointed about earlier, eh?"

She nods, "A little..."

"Seeing that you didn't want me to kill the abomination and that Melee was not tactical against it, I had to hold back and let Cero take it out," he explains tactically, "Next time I won't back out or stall, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Is there anything else you need?"

She thought about it and looked to him still covered by his cloak, "You know you can take you're hood off, right?"

"I can..." he replies a little disgruntled, "But I won't, the reason why is my own..."

"I... understand..."

"Thanks... maybe one day I may."

"Uh, I am going to meditate now."

"Is that all you do?"

"Sometimes I do other stuff..." _Who am I kidding, that's all I do besides reading!_

"Only thing I saw you ever do is meditate and read, but whatever..." he turns to look out the window, "I'll be here if you need me..."

- Starfire's Room -

Cero was with Starfire in her room. Starfire began talking about her Home world, Tamaran and her peoples way. And Cero listen... which was something that Starfire was surprised by.

"... the song of friendship-" she gasps, "I forgot to reside that to you and Serenade!"

"Starfire..." Cero interrupts, "Excuse my, but may I ask you a question?"

"Certainly!"

"Do you have a mate?"

She looks to Cero, "Uh..." she says a little sheepish. Cero just watches waiting, "I am flattered that you would consider me as a possible mate, but I am afraid that i-"

"No!" Cero barks a little agitated, "I am not looking for a mate, for myself."

"My apologies, Cero..." she replies with the blush still sticking on her face, "But... who are you seeking a mate for then?"

"My Master..."

"I see..." she replies going quiet. After a few moments she looks to Cero, "I am smitten with someone else already, sorry."

"It's okay..." he replies before giving out a yawn.

Starfire opens her mouth but stops seeing Cero snuggle into a pillow that she laid him upon. Not wanting to disturb him on his way to sleep she drops her question...

_Why is the pet searching for a mate for it's Master?_

- Living Room -

Raven was meditating with the silent chanting of "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos" in the middle of the living room floating up high.

"... An old man turned ninety-eight, he won the lottery, died the next day," Serenade serenaded softly in a voice of irony.

Raven stops her meditation looking him with a curious stare of intrigue like a dogs. _Is he singing?_

"... it's a black fly in your chardonnay. It's a Death Row pardon two minutes too late." Serenade looks seeing Raven stare at him, "Isn't it ironic, don't you think?" he continued his serenade.

Raven didn't say anything noticing his tone. _Does he want me to answer it? Or is still si-_

"It's li-"

"REALLY?" Beast Boy blurted, "Someone won the lottery and died the next day?"

Raven face palms lightly with a shake of her head. _Of course..._

Serenade shook his head, "Just saying stuff, because I got bored..." he speaks normally breaking from the song. "Gonna go get a bit of fresh air..." he then adds walking out the living room.

"Alright then dude see you later." Beast Boy acknowledges before looking to Raven who stares at him with an annoyed like face. "What?" he asks unknowingly.

She stands on her feet and starts to walk, "I am going to my room..." she monotones a bit angered.

Beast Boy blinks, "What did I do?" _Did I miss something?_ Raven leaves the room. He then shrugs, "Whatever..."


	5. A Gold Maned Female

Basically a recap chapter of when Terra returns. Along with some other craziness. Thanks for reading/reviews.

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><p><strong>- Chapter 5 -<strong>

**- A Gold Maned Female -**

- The Tower -

Dusk was coming to Jump City, Raven continued her meditation within her room. _Azarath, Metrion, Zinth- _A pound on the door catches her attention, she squints her eyes forcing her concentration.

"Yo! Raven!" Cyborg hollers from behind the door with another knock which sounded like a bang to the door.

She comes to the floor, with a defeating sigh she opens her eyes and rises to her feet. _Now what is it? _ She walks to the door steadily. _It better not be one of their stupid games they've made up. _ She cracks open the door too see Cyborg, behind him she saw the rest of the team along with Cero in Starfire's hands.

"Uh... what's going on?" she asks a little surprised, never has everybody appeared in front of her door at once.

"We're going to go for some pizza," Robin starts standing in his same spot, "We thought that you would like to come."

She looks at them closely and notices that Serenade was not among them, "Where's Serenade?"

"The Master does not wish to join us," Cero answers his normal docile self.

Beast Boy along with Robin and Cyborg turned to Cero in Starfire's hands with stares in bafflement. Beast Boy opens his mouth, "Uh... we haven't even asked him... yet."

Cero's eyes close, "I can speak telepathically with the Master, actually anyone I wish too."

Beast Boy tilts his head, "Really?"

_"Affirmative..."_ Cero's voice spoke within Beast Boy's thoughts. Cero speaks out, "Think your thoughts loudly and freely; by doing so I hear them only if you will for them to be re-"

Beast Boy grabs his head in a sense of paranoia, "No! you're going hack into my mind and use my fears and weak-"

"Okay then..." Raven monotones, "I think I am going to pass." _Definitely not going if Beast Boy is going to freak out about Cero, as usual._

"Huh?" was everyone's simultaneous reply, except Cero.

"But Raven," Starfire starts, "You never have missed an outing for pizza."

Beast Boy with a mischievous grin, "She just wants to be alone with Serenade..."

Raven's docile look became a slight scowl, "No." She rejects keeping her monotone voice, "It's that I am getting tired of pizza." _Damn you Beast Boy..._

"What's wrong with pizza?" Cyborg asks with a smirk for he knew that Beast Boy's comment got within her mind, "You never seemed to have complained before."

She rolls her purple eyes, "I just don't want to go, okay?"

Beast Boy comes in front of Raven, "You j-"

"Come on," Robin interrupts grabbing Beast Boy's collar, "If she doesn't want to go then fine. Let's just go."

"HEY! I am not finished!" Beast Boy shouts as he's being dragged off.

"I can shadowmeld us there... you know?" Cero reminds.

"Nah, I feel like driving my car!" Cyborg declines, "I just washed my baby and she deserves to be driving."

"As you wish..."

- The Roof -

Nearly an hour passes after the departure of the others. After a quick meditation to calm herself from Beast Boy's teasing she goes off in search of Serenade. Which she finds on the roof top just staring out the sea. After a five minute mental preparation she finally walks towards him...

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking to the sea," he answers casual like, "Nothing really."

"Oh..." she comments.

A brief moment of silence took place, it somewhat bugged her. She grasped the railings and fumbled with them a bit with her hands.

"Aren't you supposed to be with the others?" he asks breaking the silence, "They were going to pizza or something."

"Blah..." Raven replies distasteful, "You don't want to know how many times we eat pizza. Seriously."

"Hell you eat?" he comments turning to her, "It's pretty hard to imagine that you eat pizza a lot. Especially seeing that you got a nice slim body figure."

She blinks stunted by the comment, immediately after her hood glows in her dark energy shooting her hood over head as she felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "Uh..." _I think I just got hit on..._

He turns back to the sea, "I am guessing you don't get complimented a lot, do you?"

"Uh... not really."

"I can see why..."

"Why is that?" She replies curiously.

"You're covered up in that cloak all the time."

"I can say the same to you."

He gives a quick chuckle, "Cute... but touche."

Once again silence came over, but unlike before this silence seemed to be soothing than awkward. Somehow silence felt so right as of the moment as she stood looking out to sea as well with him. But she couldn't help to wonder. _Still... did I get hit on?_

- The Pizza Parlor -

Meanwhile...

Nearly an hour passed since they left from the tower. The rest of the team and Cero were finishing up eating and were down to the last slice...

"I believe Cero should acquire the last slice of pizza," Starfire nominates, "For he was the one who defeated the sludge minion Plasmius."

Beast Boy swipes the final cheese slice pizza, "He should be eating dog food... not pizza or my soul!"

"Hey that's mine!" Cero barks glaring at Beast Boy.

About to take a bite from the pizza Beast Boy starts, "What are you going to do abo-" Something thumps into him laying him out on the floor.

Cero stood on his chest," My PIZZA!"

"Get off me!" Beast Boy growls sweeping Cero off of him rising to his feet quickly, "And you're still not getting the last slice." Beast Boy starts to bring the slice to his mouth with a smirk. _That rat isn't going to do nothing..._

"Don't do it..." Cero growls a warning bearing teeth.

"Beast Boy just give Cero the dang pizza, I'll order another-" Cyborg starts then stops when Beast Boy takes a bite, "... One..." he then finishes with a sigh.

"That's mine!" Cero howls taking Beast Boy down again with the Pizza falling to the floor.

Beast Boy this time shifts into a wolf and faces off with Cero as they start with their spiteful growls in a stare off.

"Please let us not fight! We are all friends here!" Starfire attempts to relieve the tension.

Unfortunately it wasn't enough. Both dogs, big bad green wolf and Chihuahua fight on the rooftop. Rolling around the rooftop as they bite and scratch each other; crashing into garbage bins, tables and people before tumbling down the stairs and doing the same as they did to the upstairs to downstairs.

"Great... I hope we don't get banned from here." Cyborg comments seeing Robin and Starfire dart downstairs.

- The Tower, Roof -

Silence still loomed over the two upon the rooftop. Raven turned to Serenade about to ask him something but Serenade started once again... with the ironic sounding serenade from earlier.

"An old man turned ninety-eight he won the lottery, died the next day. It's a black fly in your chardonnay. It's a death row pardon two minutes too late. And isn't it ironic don't you think?"

Raven tilts her head in wonder as she listens.

"... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride when you've already paid. It's the good advice you just couldn't take. And who would've thought it figures?"

He turned to her and she looked up into his cloak's hood seeing his steel to fading lilac eyes stare back into her purple eyes. He continued...

"... Mr. "Play It Safe" was afraid to-" Raven's communicator beeped loudly and Serenade stopped.

_Great again... really? _ Raven grabs her communicator and flicks it open, "Yes?"

Robin pops up on the screen, "Uh... we need Serenade here."

Raven raised a brow, "Why?"

The sounds of crashing and thrashing about blared out from the background, "Cero and Beast Boy are fighting! And we can't get them to sto-" Robin ducks as a table set flies over head, "We just him to stop Cero!"

"I will be there shortly," Serenade acknowledges hearing the problem. _Damn it Cero..._

Raven closes the communicator, "I can telep-" she stops seeing Serenade was gone. She looked around, "Uh... Serenade?" But he was nowhere to be found.

- The Pizza Parlor -

"Sorry you lose..." Cero teased the frustrated green Silver Back Guerilla that was Beast Boy. Beast Boy smashes upon another Cero, "That was your last chance now I-" He whimpers finding himself being stepped on a bit by his Master.

"Cero..." Serenade growls displeased eyeing him.

"Master!" Cero barks straggling from underneath his Master's boot.

Serenade releases Cero, "What the hell is going on around here?" he howls out before looking around the pizza parlor.

Trash was everywhere, on the floor, the walls, what was left of the tables and counters and oddly trash was on the ceiling. Chairs, tables and garbage cans were tossed about as if a typhoon swept through the parlor. By far a hoarder's house looked a whole lot better than the parlor.

Serenade face palms with a smacking sound to his face, "Ah hell..." he comments resentful, "I knew I should have came..."

Raven energymelds to the parlor, "What's hap- oh wow..."

"Cero!" Serenade commands, "You're going to clean all this up, I don't care how long it takes. But I sure as know hell I am not cleaning up after your mess!"

Cero nods, "As you wish Master," he replies without a pout.

"Yeah!" Beast Boy shouted, "You better clean this all-"

"You're helping too," Robin said forcing a broom into Beast Boy's grasp.

"Say what?" Beast Boy shrieks his surprise.

"You helped make the mess, you're going to help clean it up too."

"But-but I didn't ev-"

"Just do it," Robin said frimly.

"Gah!" Beast Boy pouts before staring to sweep as he mumbled angrily to himself.

- The Tower, Roof -

Later...

Night fell over Jump City; Serenade and Cero were on the roof...

"Beast Boy is pretty pissed off right now..." Serenade comments watching the city's lights and night life.

"Well he shouldn't have tried to eat my pizza..." Cero replies defensively, "Plus I warned him..."

"Yeah, but still, fighting over a slice of pizza? Really?" Serenade shames, "Now I got to hear about this now..."

Cero sighs as he sits, "Master you know how we dogs are... we get competitive... you know that."

"Don't forget that you're not an average dog, Cero. You're a hell of a lot more intelligent than the average dog, possibly Beast Boy..." Serenade pauses quickly with Cero snickering, "Anyway, let alone you talking and you possessing shadow powers..."

"You're right Master..." Cero agrees, "I should have been the smarter person..."

"Don't start with that either."

Cero nods, "As you wish..."

- ? -

"I couldn't all of the sudden appear, especially with those two new people with the Titans."

"A dog is not a person..."

"This Chihuahua was talking and had shadow powers like Raven's. So what am I supposed to think?"

"So these two new people are linked to Raven somehow?"

"Well the guy, I think, wears a cape thing like Raven but instead it's grey and the dog has similar powers like Raven's. Along seeing that Raven somewhat ogles at the guy..."

"... ... ..."

"So? What now?"

"Continue with the primary plan..."

"Even with the extra two?"

"Yes, do the same to them; research them so that you can also destroy them too. Do not fail me."

- The Tower, Roof -

The next day comes, after a talk with Robin about yesterday's incident and things being patched up, the team saw the day as a perfect day for volleyball on the roof... or at least most of them did.

"Hey no fair!" Beast Boy pouts, "You guys have a psychic Chihuahua on your team!"

"You expect me to head butt the ball?" Cero sasses, "Especially when Cyborg spikes it down?"

"Cero's got a point..." Robin agrees, "Plus you can morph into anything to hit back..."

"Just serve the ball already!" Cyborg shouts impatiently waiting.

As the five played both Serenade and Raven were on the sidelines away from the action.

"You don't want to play?" Serenade asks Raven as she meditates.

"No..." she replies maintaining her focus.

"Why not? Your friends wish for you to play with them..."

She sighs, "If you want to play with them, why don't you?"

"They are your friends, not mine."

"Raven look out!" Beast Boy shouts.

The ball stops abruptly feet away from Raven's head before being lobbed back at the team with her energy. The whole team sighs in relief.

"Hey Raven! You sure you don't want to play?" Cyborg shouts tempting like, "I'll play with one arm..." he adds dismounting an arm.

"No..." Raven monotones.

"Serenade don't you wish to participate on getting the ball over the net of volley?" Starfire asks, "It is quite fun."

"Maybe in awhile..."

"Alright, service!" Cyborg shouts before serving.

Serenade looks to Raven, "See... they wish for you to play."

"I just don't do sports or sunny day activities..." She thought of what Serenade said before the ball almost pried her, "Aren't they somewhat you're friends too?"

"The only people that I know of that have friendly opposition towards me is you and Starfire, Beast Boy seems to dislike me due to my association with Cero, Robin is a little uncertain of my presence and Cyborg, well were neutral I guess..."

"They just don't know you well yet..." Raven assures, "Just give them some more ti-"

"Raven look out!" Beast Boy once again shouts.

Unlike last time Raven moves with the ball flying off the tower, "I am not going to keep saving the ball all the time..."

The team sighs, "I got it..." Beast Boy announces running about to morph.

Serenade breathes in through his nose, "A female is near... it is not you or Starfire."

Raven blinks almost breaking her meditation, "You know this how?" _That was somewhat weird..._

The ball bounces up onto the rooftop to Beast Boy's feet, "Thanks Raven," Beast Boy starts, "We'll try not to h-"

"That was not Raven..." Cero informs, "Nor was it me or the Master..."

"Then who was it?" Beast Boy asks.

Levitating up upon a rock, was a blonde girl with blue eyes and what appeared to be some type of rock climbing attire with flight goggles around her neck. She rises up fully before opening her mouth, "You guys mind if I join?"

The voice of the girl was familiar, again Raven nearly loss her meditation. _Terra!_

"No way..." Beast Boy whispers loudly in awe, "Its Terra!" he then yips dashing to her competing with Starfire.

"I am going to guess that this Terra is an old friend or something?" Serenade assumes seeing Starfire hug the breath out of Terra and then Beast Boy and Terra having a lovey dovey moment.

"She is not mine..." Raven monotones. _Great here we go again..._

- Underneath the Tower -

Several hours later...

Time flashes as the team pursues some large mech worms that drilled under the city, which all happened right after Terra gave her display of power and control. The team split into two, Serenade, helped Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire as Cero helped Terra, Raven and Robin...

With Robin engaging battle with Slade, only Terra, Raven and Cero were underground near the controls.

"Let's bash the computer maybe that will stop it..." Terra insisted with a large boulder hovering towards the computer.

Raven used her power to stop her, "Are you crazy, we have to hack it, if we destroy it, it may make it worst..."

Cero seeing that their bickering was getting nowhere ran and jumps on to the computer, "Gah! Bad time to wish I had hands!" he barks rushingly paws each button one at a time.

"Why are you so mad at me for?" Terra shouts in Raven's face.

"It's not fair that I have to meditate to keep my powers in control, when all of the sudden you appear with full control of yours!"

"Hah! I got it!" Cero yips happily.

The two look to him surprised, "Really?" Raven questions.

"Just go to push en-" a stalagmite falls onto the computer destroying it, "As the Master would quote _Ah hell..._"

The beams energy increases the mining rate for the destruction of the tower until the tower begins to slowly fall.

"Uh... I guess you were right about not bashing it..." Terra comments sheepishly.

Cero's energy streams out from the point of his nose with eyes emitting the neon black energy, "Go I will slow it down... I can shadowmeld out of here in an instant."

"We got to get out of here!" Raven urges running to the elevator where Slade and Robin fought. _Wait... I can telep-_

"No..." Terra rejects, "There is something we can do..." _This better work Slade..._

Raven turns to her, "Look, I know your trying to prove yourse-"

"I am a Chihuahua... not a god!" Cero struggles to say, "I can't hold this up forever you know!"

"You won't by yourself..." Terra replies throwing up a hand with her yellow energy streaming out smacking the massive rock that slowly came down.

Then comes Raven helping out too, surprisingly the three manage to restore the stability of the tons of earth that the Tower sat upon. At the end of the day, Terra was accepted by everyone, just as Slade planned...

- Raven's Room -

"Cero told me about everything..." Serenade speaks, "Are you really jealous of Terra?"

Raven who was meditating loses her focus falling to the ground, "No!" she rejects defensively with a few books from her bookshelf flying out.

"Your powers speak your emotion..."

She sighs with eyes shifting to the ground, "Maybe..."

"Sure, her blonde hair shines like the morning rays basking 24k gold and with eyes of a polished blue topaz, which I personally like blondes..."

Raven was stricken with glum. _Really now? Why does everybody like the blondes for?_

"But that's no reason to be jealous."

"It's not that..." Raven monotones. _Or it wasn't... DAMN YOU Terra..._

"Then what is it?"

She sighs reluctant, "I don't think it's fair that she comes back after nearly destroying the city once, because she couldn't control her powers. And all of the sudden has complete control over them, while I have to meditate and keep a cool mind to keep mine in check."

"Well that's what sucks about being Azarath..."

"Tell me about it."

Serenade looks to his monitor, "Well it is late... I am going to sleep."

"Serenade..." Raven says softly.

"Yeah?"

"Never mind, nothing..." she chickens out.

"Really?"

"Just forget it..."

"If you say so..."

"Fine..." she succumbs, "How do you feel about..." she stalls briefly, "... ... Starfire?" _Why did I say that?_

"Well..." he replies thinking, "No doubt that she's attractive with her red hair and green eyes and slender, sexy body..."

Raven listens with a sinking feeling within her; which was a first for her. I_ knew I should have just forgot about it!_

"However what gets me the most is that color of her attire, purple and their variants are my favorite color... especially those of in the hair color and eyes..."

She looks to him. "Really?" she monotones surprised, "I thought you liked blondes with blue eyes?"

"There are probably billions of blondes with blue eyes, but how many of those possess both a purple mane and eyes?"

Though she wanted to blush, one word came to mind, "Mane?"

"Sorry, I meant hair... Cero's animal terms get to me sometimes."

"Uh, okay."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah... uh, good night..."

"Night."

Serenade walks out of the room, which leaves Raven with one thought...

_Did I just get hit on? Again...? _A Brief moment of excitement over came her which made Books from her bookshelf fly out again. _Great... most girls deal with being shy and saying the wrong thing to the guy, but I got my powers to worry about too?_


	6. De Cloaked

Chihuahua's are crazy. Just saying random stuff as usual.

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><p><strong>- Chapter 6 -<strong>

**- De-Cloaked -**

- The Tower -

A few days pass with only minor criminal activity along with the team starting to accept Terra amongst them. It was the mid-day and the team was playing some kind of elemental pandemonium card game in the dinning room table. And as usual Serenade leaned near the window.

Cero watched as Cyborg claimed victory over the game round, which made Robin a little disgruntled before feeling an unknown force yank him from a distance. He shook his body, "Feels like... something's try to steal me..."

Serenade looks to Cero, "What is trying to steal you Cero?"

Cero shrugs uncertain, "I don't know... but it keeps on trying to do so..."

"Steal you how?" Robin asks looking to the little dog on the backrest of the booth they sat on, "Don't see an-"

Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy were gone, vanished into a small cloud of smoke. The three girls looked to each other then Cero, who was also surprised too. He notices them staring at him, "Hey, don't look at me... I didn't do it."

"Uh... perhaps it's part of the game?" Starfire comments uncertain.

Raven shrugs uncertain, before Terra opens her mouth, "Uh... now what?"

"Master?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you always just stay there..."

"And?"

"Don't you think that's a little..." Terra starts, "... boring?"

"Oh I am sorry; I didn't know I had to entertain you guys... or gals..." Serenade speaks naively, "What do you want me to do strip for you three?"

Both Terra and Raven shutter with a blush, except for Starfire who had a curious look, "What is that you should strip?" she asks unknowingly.

Terra and Raven remained silent by embarrassment, so Cero sighs, "Stripping is that of a male or female, slowly undressing themselves to the maximum of nudity, for the entertainment of either se-"

"Okay! I have heard enough now!" Starfire shrieks stricken with embarrassment.

Serenade chuckles, "Well then... I guess I can cross that out."

"Perhaps you can only strip off you cloak?" Starfire suggests sheepishly.

Serenade tilts his head, "Why is it that you females always wish for that? Besides other things that I am not even going to mention."

"Friend Raven takes off her cloak sometimes and reveals herself."

"Yeah... I can see... but Raven is deemed as somewhat normal."

"Normal?" Raven monotones shaking off her embarrassment, "If you haven't noticed, Starfire's an Alien girl, Cyborg is half metal, Beast Boy's green and I am half demon. The only people that seem somewhat normal are Robin and Terra." She got a glimpse of Cero, "And Cero is a talking chihuahua... so?"

Serenade looks to Raven, though it was unseen by the others due to his cloak; but he was slightly apalled. _So Skath was right about Raven being his daughter then..._

"So whatever you're worried about, it's probably nothing... Serenade."

Serenade sighs annoyed, "Should I Cero?"

Cero shrugs, "Don't know really, up to you Master; however what Raven says is somewhat true..."

Serenade grasps his cloak, "Fi-" the alarm wails out loudly with the red lights flashing which was quickly followed by Cero howling in pain as he paws both his ears.

Raven who was the only one, who really knew anything of computers out of the three girls, goes to the emergency terminal, "It looks like there's someone terrorizing some type of Fan based fair event at the downtown Community Center."

"Gah! Let's go!" Cero yelps shadowmelding everyone.

- Downtown, Community Center -

As quick as the shadows came they were gone, only to reveal that they were now at the Convention Center.

"I will show you that a Shadow Shogun is far more superior than one of the light!" Control Freak shouts in rage with numerous cutouts and life-size models of some interstellar fictional series running around thrashing the stands and terrorizing the fandom beings.

"Great it's the couch potato again..." Raven informs a little regretful seeing Control Freak. _This again? Luckily Beast Boy isn't here..._

Control Freak wheels around to Raven, "Titan's my nemesis! Or nemeses... or is it nemesi?"

"Really his name is **Couch Potato**?" Cero asks with a tilt of his head, "What an odd name."

Control Freak nearly falls to the ground hearing Cero, "NO!" he then shouts furious, "How dare you not know who I am puny Chihuahua... I am the awesome, the epic, the- wait... did you just talk?"

"The Control Freak, is not a potato Cero," Starfire comments, "Though he may have the form of one."

Control Freak steam in anger, "I am not a POTATO! I am the Con- You know what, get'em my minions!"

A bunch of sci-fi looking droids came with their blasters aimed at the four which then erupted in different colored blasts and beams. Terra throws up a wall of rock absorbing all the energy bolts before the four scatter. Starfire takes to the sky as usual; Terra and Raven find themselves dealing with most of the troopers blasting at them.

Control Freak seeing Starfire flying aims his remote at a life size replica of M-Wing Fighter. Immediately its thrusters kick on and it lifts off to engage Starfire.

Cero shadowmelds from behind Control Freak, "Hey, Mr. Potato Head behind you!" Cero barks from behind.

Control Freak spins whipping out some reddish twin bladed sword and swings but finds that the blade flies over Cero about three feet overhead. He looks down, "It's you! You demonic little rat!"

"Hey! I am not a rat!" Cero barks spitefully with a growl.

"Silence rodent!" Control Freak stabs the ground where Cero stands, but Cero jumps out of the way. A table nearby flies to Control Freak but it gets sliced in half by his energy blade, "No little rat is able to defeat a level 12 samurai!"

Meanwhile, Raven, Terra and Starfire were in their own battles. An icy blue bloom of energy erupts between Raven and Terra sending them separate ways into the sky. Terra was able to recover by flipping onto a hovering rock platform. Raven however wasn't so lucky for she hit a concrete support beam then hit the floor.

"Oww..." she winces on her hands and knees, "Where is Serenade?" Some warrior being in all black a silver studded clothing comes charging at her with an energy blade similar to Control Freak. She throws up her hand blasting the cardboard cutout which it then incinerates; she gets up to her feet and quickly flies back to the battle. In range and about to take out most of the troops, Starfire screams from the air and crashes onto her. Smashed to the floor, "Really?" Raven monotones, "Why is that you always have to fall from the sky and land on someone?"

Starfire gets off of Raven, "My apologies?" Starfire says with a sheepish smile.

The interstellar ship that engaged Starfire swoops over the two, unleashing a barrage of pink laser beams. Raven instinctively throws up a small barrier around the two. Raven lets the barrier go down and almost simultaneously the troops started blasting at them, forcing Raven to throw up a force field in front of the two. The fighter comes once more, Starfire this time jumps up in front of it unleashing beams from her eyes. The beams strike the fighter but only managed to shake it up a bit as it evasively banked away from towards Terra who quickly stalagmite spiked its engine.

The fighter's spins out of control going down, "I got that space fighter!" Terra shouts proudly before it crashes into the support beam that Raven smacked into, "Uh, that's bad..."

The support beam starts to crumble and crackle loudly, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouts fed up with the force field shooting forward. The field of energy straffs in a wall disentergrating the cardboard troops. She then looks to the support beam and the burning fighter at its base, she face palms, "Great..." she sighs going to it throwing up her hands to support the structure with her powers. "Terra... is there anything you can do, to support this thing?"

"Kinda busy getting blasted at by these, whatever they're called..." Terra replies lobbing some boulders at the enemies with Starfire blasting them as well.

"Great..." she monotones through her teeth. _I guess this was how Cero felt the other day._

Cero meanwhile was still distracting Control Freak, but now found each other dueling each other with blades of energy...

Both of them back slide from each other, "For a demon rat, you're quite a formidable foe..." Control Freak speaks all mystic like as if he were the actual dark character of the Sci-fi series he based himself to be around.

"Demon, yes, rat, no..." Cero replies smoothly, "I am a Chihuahua!" he barks charging at Control Freak with a shadow blade hovering over head.

"Demon or not, I am still..." swords clash and grind against each other releasing sparks of energy, "... the strongest."

"Maybe, physically..." Cero replies, "But..." with a blast of energy Control Freak flies through numerous small deployable walls that separated the stands, "... power... no."

Underneath rubble Control Freak shoots up, "Hey, that's not fair!" he pouts, "You have spirit powers!"

"What are you going to do about it, human?"

Control Freak pulls up his remote, "This..." he says casually before pushing a button in an instant the area where Cero was blooms out an icy blue explosion, with Cero flying high into the sky, stunned. Control Freak then laughs out menacingly, "I knew no rat could defeat me!"

Starfire seeing this and gives out a stricken gasp before shouting, "Cero!"

Raven looks to see Cero falling from the sky with a small smoke trail. _Great_. She briefly releases her power that was holding the support beam throwing her hands at Cero, but nothing happened. "Huh?" She threw them up at Cero again, still nothing. _Why can't I catch him!_

Luckily Terra was able to sort of catch Cero, by making him face plant a rock platform in mid-air, which was better than splatting the floor. The structure starts to crumble again, which Raven quickly puts her powers back onto it.

Control Freak continues his laugh seeing the Titan's fought, but realizes something. He counts the three Titans, "Wait, why are only the chicks fighting for? Where are Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg? Who's the blonde chick and why was there a talking demon Chihuahua on the team for?" He then shrugs, "Oh well, guess they must replaced people or something."

Seeing that his minions were thinning in numbers, Control Freak starts his canny ballet of bringing every object to life, stopping with each pause with the press of a button. He spins once more before face planting into something that made him stumble back a few steps. He shakes off the daze and sees some tall guy in grey cloak standing, "Hey what the heck are you doing here? Can't you see this is a battle?"

"Yes, I see that it's a battle..." Serenade replies coolly.

The three girls notice Serenade's here and comment all basically the same, "It's about time!"

"Then why are you here, fool?" Control Freak attempts to intimidate.

"You think by defeating the females as you hide behind your troops as you do nothing but spawn more, honorable? All it does is just proves how cowardly you are..."

"How dare you dishonor the Control Freak!" Control Freak growls, "Who do you think you are?"

With a grasp of his cloak, "I am..." with a whip of his hand the cloak flies off revealing some fit black jumpsuit wearing tan skinned guy with a full steel hair colored beard that was neatly trimmed, majestic like as if he were a knight of medieval area along with the same colored hair that streamed down behind his mid-back with a pair of small brads that derived from his bangs, the soul seeking and disrupting steel fading to lilac eyes; but the true oddity was he had two chocolate brown dog ears perking through his hair, "... Serenade."

"Whoa..." Control Freak said awed, "Now that was awesome." His awe was shook off when Serenade drew the twin hooks from the side of his thighs, "You may be awesome, I'll give you that, but no cosplaying Werewolf Fan from Moonlight is going to defeat me, the Control Freak!"

"We shall see about that, Human."

"You think you can take on a level 12 sa-"

"Just shut up and fight, don't bore me with your brattle."

Control Freak lets out a battle shriek instead and darts at Serenade with his energy blade; he swings first but finds his attack blocked by one of the twin hooks, to his surprised. Serenade kicks Control Freak in the chest making him stumble back.

"You are not fit to be a warrior..." Serenade comments standing in the same spot, "Your girth makes you slightly slow and easier to hit."

With nerve stricken Control Freak roars, "Minions get this mutt!"

Control Freaks minions stopped their attacks on the girls, with Starfire and Terra defending Raven as she held up the place. The troops that attacked them focused on their new orders, ignoring Starfire, Raven and Terra.

"Why have the minions of the Control Freak stopped attacking?" Starfire asks a little surprised watching them walk away.

Terra takes a few breathes before taking in a deep one of relief, "I think that Freak Control or whatever, said something about attacking Serenade."

"Can I get some help here?" Raven monotones wearily with powers nearly being drained.

"Oh..." Terra comments before erecting four rock pillars that hold up the ceiling around the support, "Sorry just got caught up in the fighting."

Raven give a sigh of relief, before looking to the two and notices, "Uh, where's Cero?"

Terra calls the small rock platform that caught Cero comes to the three, Cero laid there stiffly on his side, eyes closed, breathing softly. Raven grasps the little dog carefully holding him in one hand and against her body, "Come on, we got to go help Serenade."

"No..." Cero whimpers, "The Master wishes for this battle to be only his..."

"Shh... don't talk Cero, you're hurt..."

Starfire flies up high, "I do not see Serenade in the area, all I see is some unknown being with long steel hair and ears of a canines, I think..."

Raven looks up to Starfire, "Ears of a Canine?"

Terra goes up by Starfire on a rock platform, "Yeah, what Starfire said, but she forgot to mention that he has a tail, swords and is emitting some type of black energy."

Raven not believing the two levitates as well next to the two, though what she saw was still not believable. Raven blinks noticing the Twin Hooks along with the black energy she remembered from the day of the invasion of Azarath, "Serenade is a... dog?" the question slips out softly and slowly.

"You wished for the Master to reveal himself didn't you?" Cero answers weakly, "Well...?"

The three look to Cero, "Serenade is a canine?" Starfire asks for clarification once more.

"Blah... too weak..." Cero replies going limp in Raven's grasp as he faints, "To explain..."

Taking multiple blaster bolts during his fury, Serenade dispatches the last of Control Freaks minions. Control Freak is a little shocked but it doesn't last long as he pulls up his remote, "It doesn't matter, I can always s-" the remote bursts surging sparks, Control Freak drops it immediately, it hits the floor giving off a few sparks before dying, "No not the remote! My source of power!"

"No more hiding," Serenade says firmly exchanging the twin hook of his left hand to his empty right hand, for he threw a twin hook to destroy the remote, "Time to continue our duel..."

Control Freak growls angrily, but all of the sudden runs away. _Forget that, I am not fighting that dark energy Werewolf guy, I'm outta h-_ He skids to a stop seeing the three girls block his retreat, "Uh... hi?" he says sheepish with his cheesy crooked smile. They continue the glare, "Fine... I surrender!" he then pleas pathetically on his knees.

Serenade comes grabbing Control Freak's back collar of his black trench coat , "Don't you run away from me..." he growls.

"You can't hurt me! I surrendered!" Control Freak shrieks, "You MUST honor my surrender!"

The three look up to Serenade up close and personal, sure he was spellbinding and mystical looking but the fact that he had dog ears stirred them a bit.

With the emitting black energy fading Serenade huffs, "Fine..." before setting Control Freak to the ground.

"Oh thank you mighty Werewolf warrior for you compa-" Control Freak was sent spinning to the floor from the fist of Serenade across the face.

"That's for blowing up Cero." He looks to the three girls, that continued there star at him, "What?"

- The Tower, Living Room -

Raven energymelds them back to the Tower almost immediately Terra opens her mouth,"So you're a werewolf?"

"I'm a what now?" Serenade replies with cloak draped over his arm.

"I believe Terra said, _Werewolf_," Starfire repeats hovering around Serenade. She then pokes one of his dog ears and it immediately flicks, again she does it again... and again... and again...

"Does it look like I am a Werewolf?" Serenade monotones disgruntled. He then shakes his head due to Starfire's excessive ear poking, "And can you stop poking at my ear?"

"I am sorry, but I am confirming if they are real," Starfire blushes with her apology and her reason. She then looks at the slightly puffy chocolate brown dog tail that was behind him at his waist.

"Uh... maybe?" Terra then replies.

Raven a little fed up and drained with the battle looks to Serenade, "You have dog ears and a tail, you also speak like one too, with animal terms like female, mane and the obvious, Humans," she monotones as she sets Cero on the sofa gently, "So are you a Werewolf?"

"Would it make more sense if I said yes?" Serenade replies feeling something grab his tail and tug it a bit, "Don't pull my tail off Starfire, that's the only one I have..."

"His canine like appendages are indeed real," Starfire informs, "And are part of him."

"Why wouldn't you say yes then in the first place?" Raven then asks, "So what are you then?"

"Perhaps he's like friend Beast Boy?" Starfire guesses, "Are you capa-"

"No, I am not like Beast Boy," Serenade interrupts before he sighs, "I am what the humans would refer as a Furry."

Raven raises a brow, "Really that was the big secret?" she replies a little anti-climactic, "Don't you know that there are quite a bit of you Furries out there in this world? Though they mostly are based in Japan... but still."

Serenade did not reply, so a somewhat long silence filled the room until Starfire uncertain what a furry was asks, "What's a furry?"

"Basically beings that have animal features, tails, fur and or animal ears..." Raven answers before looking to Serenade once more, "Why hide it for?"

"The Reason why I hide what I am, are my own..." he says putting his cloak on but leaves the hood down, "If you need me I'll be on the roof."

Serenade walks off leaving the three in the living, "Well, that was a little crazy," Terra comments, "Who would've guessed that Serenade was a furry?"

Starfire hovered to the sofa and sat next to both Cero and the phone, waiting for either to do something. As for Raven she walked off to her room without a word. _I really need to meditate before Terra has to do something about supporting this tower._

"So uh, now what?" Terra then asks but doesn't really get an answer, "I guess nothing then?"


	7. Female Fetales I

So... this is the thanks I get for working time? Saying random stuff as usual. Carry on.

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><p><strong>- Chapter 7 -<strong>

**- Female Fetales -**

**- Part I/II -**

- The Tower, Raven's Room -

Raven wakes up feeling and hearing a lone howl. She looks to her clock on her nightstand nearby her bed, one of the only things that gave out light within her pitch dark room. _2:41 Am? And was that Serenade?_ She gets up from under her covers and brings her cloak to her with her powers. _I thought he said he wasn't a Werewolf?_

- Tower Roof -

"... Oh, when love and death embra-a-a-a-a-a-a-ace... Oh, when love death embra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ace... Oh, when love death embra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ace. Oh... when love and death embrace..." He stops with eyes closed and head tilted with ears folding back down with a sense of loss.

Though it was not a song that might be the first choice to captivate any new lover; yet spellbinding to the females as the lone furry serenaded it. But more importantly it captivated her, she understood what others might not about the song.

"Is that why you're named Serenade?" Raven all of the sudden speaks, spooking Serenade.

He turns, "Raven?" he says surprised before he sighs. "I guess you heard me?"

"I only heard the last verse of the song," she replies casual, "Why sing When Love and Death Embrace for?"

"I guess you can say I get bored and I felt a little nostalgic..."

"Really?" She monotones looking at him.

He snorts a laugh, "If you think it was an attempt to woo you, then you are mistaken. For If it was, I would've serenaded the whole song directly to you."

She held her emotions from erupting, "I wasn't even thinking that, but thanks for letting me know in the future," she plays off normally.

"I that find a little hard to believe, but whatever..." Serenade replies and notices Raven's staring, "What?"

She shakes her stare, "Sorry, never noticed that your eyes were..." she stops hesitant to look.

"Were?"

She looks to them, "Were a steal fading lilac color."

"Really now? It's one of the first things you females notice, besides my dog ears..."

"Exactly..." she monotones.

"I bet you thought I was going to be some Merlin looking guy, with long grey beard, a spectacle over an eye and my hair in a ponytail. Didn't you?"

"Nope, I was expecting you to be a Martian or something like Beast Boy," she replies looking at his skin up close and personel, "Aren't supposed to have fur, you know long puffy fur?"

"I do, but it's no puffy. It's just well..." he pulls out his arm from the cover of his cloak, "It's hard to explain unless you feel it...'

She looks to him a little stunned, "Uh..."

"Come on I am not going to bite you, even though I am a dog..." She hesitantly touches his arm quickly, "You don't know how to pet dogs do you?" Serenade grasps her hand with his other hand and staffs her hand over his arm, "That's how you pet a dog."

His skin was the feeling of exquisite suede, soft and smooth to the touch, "Your skin... it feels like suede..."

"It's just ultra fine and short fur I have," he replies as she continues to pet him, "Okay you can stop now."

She steps away with a blush as she looks away, "Sorry."

"It's okay... females like soft things don't they?"

"Females?"

"Well, you're one aren't you?"

"Yes, I am a female, "she says firmly, "But why say that instead of girls or women?"

"Because I am not human."

"You look more like a human than a furry, you know."

"You are more tolerable of my presence than most, especially of the humans... or at least those who are not cosplayers."

"It's safe to guess that you and the humans don't have a good history?"

"Nope, just one of pure hatred toward each other."

"Why?" Raven frowns, "What did they ever do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about that, ever." He looks to the city that yet almost being 3 am still had some life buzzing on.

Almost in a whisper Raven asks herself, "What is that other song you sing?"

Serenade's ear perked up instantly, "Ironic..." he says.

"It sure does sound ir-"

"An old man turned ninety-eight he won the lottery, died the next day. It's a black fly in your chardonnay. It's a death row pardon two minutes too late. And isn't it ironic don't you think?

... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride when you've already paid. It's the good advice you just couldn't take. And who would've thought it figures?

... Mr. "Play It Safe" was afraid to fly. He packed his suitcase, kissed his kids goodbye. He waited his whole damn life, to take that flight. And as the plane crashed down he thought, _well isn't this nice? _And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride, when you've already paid. It's the good advice you just couldn't take. And who would've thought, it figures?

... Life has a fu-" the sound of the door closing shut startled the two. The two look over to the door to see starfire.

"I am sorry for disturbing the moment..." Starfire starts in a caught red handed like tone.

Raven rolls her eyes shaking her head slightly. _Of course... it never fails._

Starfire continues her appology, "I shall leave at once so you may continue to have your mom-"

Serenade yawns shaking his head, "I am tired, I am going to sleep..." he says walking off, "Good night."

"Uh... good night..." Raven said feeling a bit awkward, rarely has she bid _Good night_ to anyone.

Serenade leaves the roof, leaving the two on the roof. Starfire couldn't help to feel Raven's cold hard docile stare of her eyes. She smiled timidily, "My apologiez once more?"

"Save it..." Raven monotones walking passed her.

- ? -

Morning came, Serenade awoken detecting unknown scents and voices babbling about. He rises from his curled up laying position noticing that he was in some atrium with numerous females including Starfire, Raven and Terra. _What the hell's going on around here?_

"Um... Raven, where are we?" Starfire asks a little scared in a room filled with unknown girls and the sight of her sister.

"I don't know..." Raven shrugs.

"Greetings young Heroines and Villainess' of the world, I have summoned you here to a championship battle exhibition to determine which one of you is the greatest of all!" some guerilla looking guy's voice booms up high on a pedestal. "I am the Master of Games!" he introduced. He looked down to everyone, "You will win honor, fame and the champion titled as the best heroine, or villainess in the world..."

"Okay then, can you ask why the hell I am here for then?" Serenade asks somewhat disgruntled. "I am not a female, nor do I wish to be the trophy guy either."

Master of Games rubbed the back of his head, "Oh... please forgive my confusion, Serenade."

"Really?" Serenade monotones, "Just because I have a long soft mane like the females doesn't mean I am one."

"Again, please accept my apologizes..."

Serenade sighs, "Fine. Just get me the hell out of here..."

The Master of Games grasps his amulet, "If that is what you wish, just ask again."

"Is this to the death?" Starfire asks a little uncertain, "If so I wish to depart with Serenade as well..."

"Either way I still want out..." Raven comments uninterested.

"No, though you will feel pain and emotions during your battles, you will not be killed, upon elimination you will be fully restored and sent back to your homes... instantly and safely," the Master of Games informs.

"Actually sounds like fun..." Terra comments interested in the whole thing, "Plus you get to release some anger out on us Raven, I know we're annoying at times..."

Raven thought about it. _I would love to punch out Terra... this maybe my only chance to without any further problems..._ She then looks to Starfire. _Starife did disrupt Serenade's song last night._

"What is your answer, Raven?" Master of Games asks amulet ready in hand.

Raven sighs. "Fine."

Serenade looks to Raven ears shifted at her, "Really, you're going to fight?"

"Rather's well, or I'll never hear the end of chickening out..."

"Well, later th-"

"Please compete and deal battle against us!" Starfire pleads up in Serenade's face, "It shall be fun."

Serenade steps back a little feeling a bit creeped out. "No thanks..."

"Let the little doggy go home with his tail between his legs," Some more sinister version of Starfire speaks from behind, "He's just afraid of strong girls, like myself."

Serenade looks pass Starfire focusing on Blackfire, "Female warriors... just as naive and overzealous as their male counterparts and just as deadly... however they are cuter and cuddlier though," Serenade muses with a spin he draws both twin hooks, "Which one do I eliminate first? Or is it a free for all?"

"So does this mean that everyone here is going to compete?" The Master of Games asks a little confused. Everyone nods their yes, "Well then..." the Master of Games starts with a snap of his fingers and then announces, "Serenade vs. Blackfire!"

Serenade again notices that the surroundings changed to that of the moon before he looks to his opponent, Blackfire. No real difference to Starfire other than Blackfire had a black mane and steel colored clothing, though her smile was more malaevonent and sninister.

"Well it looks like I fight the pretty puppy," Blackfire says loudly with a smirk and energy emitting red hands.

"Blackfire, eh?" Serenade replies checking her out before shrugging uncaring like, "Ehn... Starfire's way hotter than you..."

With a growl of spite Blackfire answers back with a small volley of red energy bolts. Serenade throws up one twin hook to block the attack, or as it seemed, instead the bolt of energy was absorbed by the sword. He quickly throws up the second twin hook, which did the same as the first. As for the rest of the three they pelted Serenade with small explosions of red energy. Through the dust and smoke he lounged at her with red shinning twin hooks, but before he could connect a hit with his swords, Blackfire went airborne over him. He spins around looking up to her hovering high above. _Damn I hate flying enemies..._

She smirks, "What's wrong?" she sassed naively, "Can't ge-" a red bolt of energy flies past her grabbing her attention, another comes at her but she grasps the bolt and reflects it back.

Serenade again absorbs the reflected bolt, "Thanks, I use that against you in awhile..."

"Well then..." she spits back with red emitting hands, "Have some more!"

Serenade runs with arms out in a V like formation with the twin hooks in hands, towards her with the bolts of energy exploding in trail behind him.

"Stand still!" she shouted getting frustrated. One of the bolts struck him exploding into a red fireball. "Got'em..." she cheered confidently.

But through the smoke he jumps out at her. Again she just flies out of his path, but now his jump was greatly overstated. _Forgot the gravity change of the moon... _He flies over the moon slowly unable to guide his fall; Blackfire seen this and shot at him flying. She came over head; with one hand emitting red energy and meteor smashed him back to the surface of the moon. He flew smiting the moon like a comet creating a new crater on it.

He throws off the rubble and rocks that laid on him. _Damn I hate flying en- _She came down pressing her boot against his chest, forcing him back down.

"Now why don't you surrender? I don't want to mess up your looks you know..." she suggested with a reason grinning.

"Too bad I cannot say the same for you..." he replies flicking the red energy emitting twin hook. Though she back stepped the blade itself the energy absorbed within the sword blasted her back into the moon's surface. He jumps up from the rubble, "I told you that I'd use it against you..."

Blackfire shakes her head and gets back onto her feet, "You got me... finally..."

"Well you keep on flying around..."

"What am I supposed to do get sliced in half by those swords of yours?" she sasses back with hands on her sides.

"Yeah..." She shakes her head no naive like, "Fine, would you fight me somewhat fairly if I didn't use my twin hooks?"

She thought about it, "How does it benefit me?"

He sighs wearily, "Really now?" he monotones.

"Y-"

"Ah hell..." Serenade interrupts pulling out some machine pistol, "Screw it..."

Blackfire blinks, "Really? A gun?" she comments uninspired, "Don't you know that it's worthless in spa-" several shots grazed her shoulder and she quickly hisses with a simultaneous grasp of her shoulder.

"The humans may use gunpowder to propel their kinetic based weapons, but this one uses magnetic propulsion..."

She gives a few seconds of hisses and winces before she glared at him, "You SHOT me!" she roars spitefully, "You BASTARD!"

"Well shut the hell up and fight then."

Blackfire shoots at him leaving a cloud of dust where she stood, she nearly flashes in front of him about to bash him with an energy pulsing fist but gets boot in the stomach. Serenade withdraws his gun and brings out his twin hooks then charges at her. Blackfire sees the swords in his hands and him coming at her, she amps out red beams of energy from her eyes at Serenade.

He skids to a stop and crosses both swords in a defensive block just before the energy beam smacked into them. The energy was not absorbed into the swords, for they were beams; not bolts. Slowly the energy pushes him back with his feet starting to dig into the moon's surface. He slides to the floor forward before releasing his block, which the beam of energy shoots over head. With a quick release with the right twin hook, he throws the empty hand forward that belches out a fiery black and purple bolt of energy.

Blackfire stops the previous eye beam attack and re-aims at the energy bolt that Serenade unleashed, which was no bigger than a softball and wasn't as fast as any expected bolt of energy would travel. The two red beams hit dead target on the small black and purple bolt, but oddly the beams seemed to have dissipated inches away; the only thing her eye beams did was speed up Serenade bolt.

She blinks confounded stopping her attack, upon opening her eyes the black and purple bolt smacks her in the face unleashing a grenade like purple-black fiery explosion, which made her flip back over onto her stomach as if she was clothes lined by Cyborg.

"Owww..." she winces to herself picking herself up from the floor, "What the heck happened?" She looks up but see's Serenade is nowhere in sight. Where's Sere-? She jolts forward as the searing pain of two daggers comes from behind.

Serenade stands behind her closely with the twin hooks in hand, with their under handle blades impaling her. He then tears them out and delivers a right downward slash across her back. Again she jolts forward and takes a few numbing pain steps, but couldn't find herself able to move again. _C-cannot be defeated by this dog, losing to my little sister is bad en-_

Serenade grabs her from behind in a sinister like embrace and brings his mouth to her ear, "You females always seem to desire to be killed romantically..." he says nulling captivating voice, "So you don't have to ask."

"Huh?" the small squek of gasp came from her mouth.

With one hand going across her neck and the other on her cheek guides her face to his. With a kiss he waits for her eyes to close and when they did, a quick sudden moment of his hands, followed by a snap and with a release, Blackfire falls to the ground; sleeping an eternal slumber soundly.

He stands looking down upon her, "She was an attractive female, too bad she's too vindictive." With a sigh he then closes his eyes, "When love and death embrace..." he serenades a verse before the area changed once again returning him to the atrium, where the Master of Games resided.

"Congratulations victors!" The Master of Games booms, "You have survived to the next step of becoming champion!"

Serenade looks around counting five, including him, remaining contestants, "There are five people left, that is an uneven number..." he informs seeing Starfire, Terra, Raven and some pink hair pig-tailed looking goth girl.

"What happen to the losers?" Raven asked not seeing them in the room.

"Yes, I also wish to know if my opponent is safe and well," Starfire add her concern.

"Those eliminated have been safely returned to their homes automatically, fully restored, healthy and alive," the Master of Games answered. "Now you five remaining victors will rest for the rest of the day until tomorrow; where tomorrow you shall fight again! During this time I will think of a way to fix our uneven problem..."

- Dorms -

Raven reached out to Serenade telepathically during her meditation and started a conversation, for once...

"So I am guessing you did well Raven?"

"Uh... yeah..."she replied shyly. She shakes off the shy feeling, "What about you?"she asks not wanting to be weird or at least not in Serenade's eyes.

"Blackfire was an attractive and strong female but her over confidence was her downfall..." he replies casually,"What of your opponent?"

"I had to fight some Bumble Bee person... that bee ouftit girl."

"I see... It seems that the Seeress before you and the monks have trained you well then."

The word Seeress brought up a bunch of memories of her past, especially those of Azarath. There were so many things she wanted to know about him but at the time she was too shy to ask.

"Serenade..."

"Yup?"

"Were you and the uh... Seeress, seeing each other?"She asks a little awkwardly, for it was a question she held on ever since Serenade was present in Azarath.

He chuckles, "Though your mother was attractive, no. We did not have any relations of the sort. Why do you ask?"

She blushed on the spot even though Serenade was in a different room, "Sort of thought you were when I was small."

"It's funny isn't it? How when small things seem mysterious and unknown, wonderous and scary sometimes. As you grow older over the fog of adolescence and see the darker and sinister parts of life; money, power, prejudice, drugs, sex and... death. However try to hold onto whatever mysteries life has, especially the mystery of life itself."

She reflected on his last words for a few brief moments. As Serenade said, things were different as you age. Almost eight-teen, technically an adult, the thoughts of boys being icky evolved into attraction and an unknown feeling ripples through her soul; something far more powerful than anything ever known.

Can I ask you a question?" She asked softly with her heart gaining suspense.

"Ask and I shall answer."

"Do you uh..." she swallowed sorely, "Find me... attractive?"

"Raven, you've grown into a beautiful young girl, hell almost a young women. Someone will adore and love one day," he answers casually, "I would not worry about finding someone to love you."

"Would you?" She asked innocently.

There was a long silence, what felt like an eternity for Raven due to it being her first time ever thinking about love. _GREAT! Stupid! I should have waited! I scared him now..._

"I am too old for you."

"I know you're an adult, so would I when my..." she stops abruptly thinking of the prophecy that is to come, "... birthday comes up."

"I am tired..." he plays off weary like, "Tomorrow comes and so does another fight."

"Okay. Good... night."

"Good night."


	8. Female Fetales II

Evil Demon Turkeys? As usual the random stuff to keep the integrity of the format. No comments? Hmm...

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><p><strong>- Chapter 8 -<strong>

**- Female Fetales -**

**- Part II/II -**

- The Tower -

Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg come into the living room after a long bus ride...

"Sorry if I got us teleported to Las Vegas!" Robin again apologizes annoyed by Beast Boy's and Cyborg's whining, "Not like I am an expert with magical stones or teleportation devices."

"I told you something wasn't right about that Master of Games guy," Cyborg repeated once again, "But no... you didn't want to listen to your old pal Cyborg."

"Okay... I heard you already..." Robin growls even more annoyed.

The living room is quiet and empty, not even Serenade was by the window as usual. Cyborg looks to his clock on his screen, "Barely 8 o' clock, where is everyone? It's like a ghost town here."

Beast Boy looks around and finds Cero sleeping on the sofa, "Hey I found Cero!" he whispers loudly pointing at Cero.

"Why are you whispering for?" Robin asks normal like walking over to Cero, who slept with legs protruding out stiffly.

"What if he devoured everyone's soul and made them mindless zombies that are going to pop out and feast on our fl-"

With a smack behind Beast Boy's head Cyborg says, "BB, shut up..."

"Oww... why'd you do that for?"

"Cero," Robin says looking down upon the small dog.

Cero stirs slightly, "Peanuts..." he mumbles in his sleep.

Beast Boy blinks, "Peanuts?" he looks around, "I don't see any peanuts..."

With a smirk on his face Cyborg says, "He's sleep talking."

Robin ignores the two, "Cero..." he says a little more louder.

Cero stirs again but this time rolls on his other side, "No!" he barks out in surprise but oddly finishes mellowly, "Beware of the... soapy hot dogs..."

Cyborg holds in his giggles, Robin shakes his head and again says, "Cero, wake up," this time he adds with a prod.

Cero this time awakens, with a long stretch he looks to Robin, "What do you want?" he asks casually, "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Dude where's everybody?" Beast Boy blurts.

"Huh?" Cero replies unknowingly and somewhat half asleep, "What do you mean?"

"Nobody is here, did they go somewhere?" Robin asks normal like.

Cero stands with a slight limp, "The last time I remember was that we engaged some enemy named Control Freak."

"Control Freak?" Beast Boy announces, "Not that guy again!"

"What happened?" Robin asks quickly, "Is everyone okay?"

"I believe the Master, Terra, Starfire and Raven managed to defeat him," Cero answers a little uncertain, "For I do not know how I ended up here." _I cannot detect you Master... where are you?_

"I ain't picking up any signals from any of the comm devices..." Cyborg replies a little uneasy as he checks his scanners, "It's like they fell off the face of the planet."

Cero jumps to the floor landing with a small yelp of pain, "I cannot detect any of the females or the Master whatsoever..." he informs, "It's just like how you guys were yesterday."

"It was crazy," Beasto Boy starts, "We got kidnapped by some crazy Master of Games guy who made fight each other in some tournament a-"

"That has to be it!" Robin interrupted, "Master of Games has probably taken them and doing the same with just girl contestants."

"Serenade's a guy..." Cyborg says a little naively, "So why would the Master of Games want him?"

"Believe me," Cero sighs, "Many have confused the Master as a female..."

Beast Boy laughs out loud, "The Master of Games thought Serenade was a girl!"

"We don't have time for this right now!" Robin announces, "We got to find where they are at!"

- Master of Games Arena -

The last five came to the main area again as they waited for The Master of Games to announce what was going to happen...

"Perhaps it will be a team battle?" Starfire speaks out.

"It's still uneven Starfire," Serenade replies, "Unless its a handicap match."

The Master of games appeared on his mantle, "Good afternoon heroines..." he greeted, "Oh sorry Serenade... good afternoon to you too..." he added almost forgetting about him.

The others bit their tongues in laughter, Serenade closed his eyes, "You're lucky that you're not in this competition Master of Games..." he said annoyed.

"Okay..." Master of Games replied unfazed, "Anyway today there will only be only one match."

The girls gasped surprised, "But how?" Starfire asked, "I thought there can only be one vict-"

Everyone found themselves in a different area...

"It's Serenade vs. Raven vs. Starfire vs. Terra vs. Jynx! In a huge free for all match, the last one standing will be take the title as the best female teenage super!" he announced loudly.

Serenade sighed with a facepalm. _I should cut my hair... this is rellay annoying me._

"Let the fighting begin!" Master of Games roared.

Serenade looked around the wide grassland area, with a gentle breeze blowing the grass against the grass. It was peaceful and content why would a battle take place here was unkonwn. The ground shook beneath him; he quickly jumped from it with a spike of earth shooting up. He turned seeing Terra with her hands glowing smiling at him.

He brought up his twin hooks, "I will deal with you fir-" he stumbled forward almost falling to the ground that exploded with green energy around him.

Raven saw Terra bringing a boulder over her head ready to beat Serenade with it. Raven grabbed a nearby tree and lobbed it at Terra. Terra seen the tree come at her at the corner of her eye, she put the boulder to the ground shielding herself with it...

"What is your problem Raven?" Terra shouted from behind her boulder, "I could've eliminated Serenade!"

"We are not on teams remember?" Raven answered pulling up her dark emitting hand at her.

Terra smirked, "I'll deal with you then, friend..." she said picking the boulder up again.

Starfire flew up high looking down upon the smoke that lingered. She saw Serenade on the floor not moving, she came to him...

"Friend Serenade are you okay?" she asked concerned next to him.

He shot up with her in his arms and a twin hook to her throat, she gasped out loudly.

"Starfire why didn't you just attack?" he asked into her ear.

"Because you are my friend..." she said stiffly, "Friends don't hurt friends."

"I see... but your incompetence will cost you greatly," he replied darkly.

The ground shot in a pink energy, Serenade and Starfire flew in different locations. Serenade jumped back up seeing Jynx smiling with her toothy grin and her huge pink pigtails flaring up.

"I thought I had two for one," Jynx commented, "I guess I am going to have to eliminate both of you separately."

Serenade looks to Starfire, "Have you ever heard the saying, _An enemy of my enemy is friend of mine?_"

Starfore thought about it briefly, "What you are conveying is that we team up to eliminate the on of bad luck?"

"Yes. Only because she's disrupting our battle."

Jynx glared at the two, "You are teaming up against me?" she growled in disbelief, "It's a free for all, not a te-" she stopped herself. "Whatever, I will show you two not to mess with me!" she shouted launching out a wave of her pink energy.

-Terra and Raven -

The two face each other ignoring the other three and the explosions of their battle. The boulder Terra had was in two pieces Raven had a piece and Terra had a piece; both levitating above their heads.

"Come on Raven I know you want to give me some of your trash talk..." Terra said with a smirk.

"Words are easy..." Raven replies unmoved focusing on the battle, more importantly her powers.

"Sounds like something Serenade would say..." Terra commented. With that remark something else sparked in Terra's mind, "You like the old furry don't you?" she then teased.

The anger in Raven's eyes shined red dimming down slowly, "He's not that old!" she shouted with her piece of the boulder exploding into a black fiery bloom of energy.

Terra chuckled softly, "So you do like him though?"

Raven shuttered, she felt herself blush. "We are not here to talk, Terra."

"Awwww... you like him..." Terra said in a heartwarming voice, "Well to bad you're going to be seen as a loser today!" she then shouted lobbing the rock at Raven then threw her arm out at Raven.

Raven threw up her hand guiding the boulder away from her making it crash to the ground; she looked back to Terra but saw the earth spikes shooting out in a row coming at her. She jumps into the air with only her cloak being spiked.

"Agh... come on you're going to fly?" Terra pouted looking up to her. "Well..." she started as she lifted both her hands slowly cracking the earth around her and floated up, "Two can play that way too..." she finished smirking with numerous rocks floating around her.

Raven had her hands emitting her dark energy, "Bring it."

- Serenade, Starfire and Jynx -

Jynx's energy was a bit difficult to get past, for she did not send it bolts or burst like most others do; she unleashed her energy in ripples and waves. Serenade jumped into the ripple of energy unable to jump back for it blasted forward and it was too wide to side step. The cloak was able to absorb most of the energy but the remaining still came through singeing his body.

Starfire up high went into her starbolt barraging frenzies, with her rain of green bolts singing down upon Jynx; exploding around her. Starfire ceased her attack panting as she watched the smoke drift into the air.

"I think I have elimin-" A pink ripple of energy slashes her deeply, sending her to the ground.

"I hate flying people..." Jynx commented seeing Starfire crash into the ground with a boom of dust a dirt. She looked around for Serenade, "I know he's here..." she said looking around. "I know you're here!" she shouted barraging the area around her with her pink waves of energy blasting the area around her, "I will find YOU!" she shouted continuing her destructive search.

He came to Starfire seeing her lying in a crater, he decloaked looking down to her. She looked up to him painfully. "How are you able to go to... into the unvisible?" she coughs curiously.

"The monitor enables camouflage," he answers as he looks back to Jynx's blind destruction of the area around her, booming all around sending small stones everywhere.

Starfire sighs out, "I-I don't want to fight..." she winced, "... for amusement or for fun any longer."

"Then why did you not go home?" he asked seeing the lash across stomach, "That is one hell of a flesh wound..." he commented seeing the some of Starfires blood start to ooze from it.

"Please just eliminate me, so that I can go back home with the others..." she pleaded looking up to him.

He closed his eyes, "Fine..." he grunted grabbing her and carrying her off back into the battle.

Jynx stopped somewhat exhausted, "Serenade you coward!" she growled taking in breaths, "I can't believe I thought you were hot too!" Something came through the air in grey, "There you are!" she roared amping out her energy at it as it landed on the floor with a loud thud.

The pink energy exploded violently engulfing the area seconds later the area was foddering. She came to him on the floor not moving, "You said you were all power-" she flipped him over.

"Starfire? I thought I killed you already?" she shouted seeing Starfire's body vanish before her. She growled frustrated, "Where are y-"

"I am right behind you..." he said covering her mouth muffling her. She began to struggle in his arms, "Such a pretty female..." he commented darkly. She stopped struggling enchanted, "But too bad that I am not in search of a female though..." he then revealed grasping her head with both hands.

"Let go of me you crazy son of a bit-"

"Shhh... it's going to be..." with a swift flip of the wrist her neck crackled, "Over..." he finished letting her fall to the ground. He looked down upon Jynx as she disappeared; he took in a deep breath and about to serenade a verse but the clashing of energy from the sky caught his attention...

- Terra and Raven -

Pillars of rock shot beneath Raven as she nimbly flew snaking her way through them so she could get to Terra. A few of the rock pillars snapped and were thrown at Terra to distract her. But them being rock Terra was easily able to direct them back a Raven, with ease.

Raven threw the pillar back at Terra; Terra anticipating it threw up her hands. Two booms went out and a spray of pellets dug into Terra sides with a spurt of blood. She jerked to her other side nearly falling off the rock grasping her left arm. She looked back up at the pillar with wide eyes. The pillar came down onto Terra hammering her down to the floor.

Raven shuttered as it came smiting the ground, she slowly opened an eye, "That's got to hurt..." She comes to the ground looking away the massive rock pillar, but foot steps from behind quickly caught her attention. She sees Serenade come out of the dust without cloak on. _Of course... it had to be him..._

"So it is just you and me?" Serenade asks stopping several feet away from the rock pillar.

Raven took down her hood, "I guess so..." she replied with a smirk, "Oh yeah thanks."

"You're welcome, looked like it was getting boring," Serenade replies as he trails on.

Her eyes open heavily and her vision is blurry, the only thing she could make out was some person standing in front of her, but the thing that identified the being was the chocolate brown tail. _Serenade... that cheap bastard... sh-shot me!_ An unknown sense of agony begins to grip her body as slowly the world around her fades to darkness. _I'll take you with me, even though this is all pretend! I hope..._

"... Now it's time for a real fight, no hot potato, stuff..." Serenade finishes drawing out the twin hooks, "Are you re-" An earth spike shot through the right of his chest.

"Serenade!" Raven cried.

He looked at the spike poking out of his chest, with the right arm he broke spike from behind with a swift swing of the twin hook. He turned to Terra half smashed body that fell limp to the ground and vanished.

"Serenade are you alright!" Raven shouted fearfully seeing the three foot earth spike impaled into him.

He grasps the spike's point and with a yelp he yanks it out before falling to his knees with twin hooks hitting the floor. "Hmph... No.." he grunts painfully breathing in deeply. He looked to Raven who was comforting him and frantically looking for a way to help him, "Seeress just eliminate me..."

She looked to him staring up to her, "No, I can't you're my fri-"

"Don't give me that Starfire stuff," he grunted loudly. Against the pain in his chest he manages to dislodge the shotgun from his back, "Here shoot my damn face... off... Okay?"

She turned away from him, "I-I-I can't..." she stuttered afraid.

"Ah... Hell..." he said wincing, "Really?"

"Don't move!" she shouted seeing him in even more pain, he brought the gun to his chin and pumped it. "Don-!" the gun went off she flinched. _No... why? Couldn't he have just shot me instead?_

She opened his eyes and found herself in the main room where the Master of Games stood on his mantle...

- The Tower -

Meanwhile...

Robin was on the computer looking for anything that can link anything to Master of Games, Cyborg was scanning numerous places with his arm scanner and a computer scanner. Cyborg looks to Beast Boy just standing there, "Yo BB, do something!"

"Cero ain't doing anything!"

"I am trans-dimensionally scanning for any of the females and the Master..." he replies briefly as he continues hi focused with eyes closed and ears erect.

"Huh? Trans-whata?" Beast Boy replies.

"These massive ears of mine have there perks along with my psychic like abilities..." he answers, "Please let me concentrate as I continue my search..."

"Better hurry and find them, before the Master of Games tries to steal everyone's po-"

Cero's eyes shot open, "There you are Raven..." he comments shadowmelding.

"He forgot us!" Beast Boy pouted. He gives a breath of relief, "Thankfu- I mean, darn!"

- Master of Games Arena -

"Congratulations Raven you're the winner of the challenge!" Master of Games announced proudly, "You're the bested the heroines and villainess' and Serenade!" _Yes... I thought Serenade was going to be the victor..._

She sighed sadly looking away, "I don't feel like I won..." she replied lowly. _Why would he do that for, why not shoot me, instead?_

"I know the battle was intense and emotional, but know that everything is well," he assures, "Now let me present you with your reward..." Master said warping something above him.

- ? -

Meanwhile...

Serenade found himself fully restored but in an enclosed white space. He looked around and seen all the female contenders look at him, just staring at him, entranced by him, especially Blackfire.

"Uh... hello?" he asked somewhat creeped out. _Ah hell... I shouldn't have killed the females romantically..._

"He's mine! I saw him first!" Blackfire shouted over every one.

Serenade's ears perked up in surprise, "Say wh-?" they all bum rushed him from all sides screaming and clawing at him.

He found himself being used in a tug o' war; with these girls pulling him at his feet, arms, tail and his hair. They bickered with each other on who seen him first and who he was going to be with trapped for the rest of eternity.

"Hey knock- OW! Careful! That's my only tail!" he yelps struggling trying to break free.

"Please do not fight over Serenade!" Starfire shouted over everyone.

Serenade sighed, "I know it's every guy's dream to be fought over with by females, but this is insanity."

"Serenade is right this is no way to act," Terra commented releasing her grasp on his arm.

He sighed closing his eyes, "Master of Games if I was the average guy I would worship you." His hands flared in his black energy, "Sorry young females but I am not looking for a female at the moment and I also don't attend to stay here neither."

"We tried everything to get out! There is no way out!" an unkown voice shouts.

"If there's a way in there's a way out..." he replied, "Blackfire, Starfire, Jynx... hell everybody... I need your help to overload whatever the hell we're in."

- Master of Games Arena -

A crackle of lightning sounded with a small flash and out of the flash came a broard gold wrestling looking belt made with a 24k Gold buckle came in front of Raven, she looked at it. There were a lot of feelings within her, but the one that really got to her was sorrow. She felt bad for Serenade, even though it was a simulation as claimed by The Master of Games; she still couldn't forget what he done. He could've shot her instead and won, but instead he eliminated himself...

"Please take your trophy so that I may warp you back to your home," The Master of Games says waiting. _Don't be greedy... last time I lost everything and I'll be damned too lose it all again!_

Mere inches away from grasping her Belt, Cero shadowmelds and barks, "Where is the Master?"

Raven's hand retreats from the belt, "Cero?" Raven replies surprised looking to him, "And isn't he at the tower?"

Cero shook his head, "No, the Master is not at the Tower, nether is Terra or Starfire."

Raven turned back to the Master of Games, "Where are my fr-" A small cracking sound echoed that was quickly followed by a loud whooshing sound with ray of light that shot out the amulet that the Master of Games wore. Serenade rolled onto the ground jumping to his feet, "Serenade?"

"Master!" Cero yips happily with a small jump of glee.

Serenade draws his twin hooks, "You think that I am that easy to contain?" he says looking to Master of Games.

"NO! I shall not let this happen AGAIN!" Master of Games roared out with the numerous types of energies vortexing around him, "I tried not to be greedy but now I will take all of your powers!"

"Ah, hell..." Serenade comments next to Raven and Cero.


	9. In Due Time

When Love and Death Embrace...

* * *

><p><strong>- Chapter 9 -<strong>

**- In Due Time -**

- Master of Games Arena -

Master of Games throws up his right arm, green and red starbolts shot out like a chain gun. Cero shadowmelds quickly out of the target area while Serenade shoves Raven out of the line of fire then goes into a defensive position. The starbolts pelted him exploding in blooms of red and green energy.

Raven tears off a chunk of the wall and sends it flying at the Master of Games. Yards from smacking the Master of Games earth pillars shot up shielding him from the attack. Seconds later the pillars crackled snapping off from their bases.

The Master of Games chuckled with a yellow glowing left hand, "Fools... you can't match my power!" The pillars of rock formed into points and flew at Raven jabbing at her like spears.

Raven threw up her barriers blocking the spear like pillars of rock. Another jab came at her, then another and another. Slowly she backed into the wall, with a quick gurnt of annoyance she threw her hands downward slicing the spear in half. The other spear of rock shot at her, she side steps the spear with it buffing her side.

She shruggs off the minor damage, "Azarath..." she started her chant with the dark energy engulfing the halves of the broken earth spear, "Metrion, Zin-" pink energy blasted her back into the wall before her body plops to the ground.

Master of Games chuckles menacingly seeing Raven on her hands and knees. "Ha, you cannot hope to stop me!" the Master of Games boomed. _Wait... SERENADE! _Quickly he looked around for Serenade who was nowhere in sight. "You're not going to sneak up on me!" _But where's that little dog though?_

Master of Games stomps the ground with his right foot sending out a ring of foot earth spikes all rippling out around. One of the spikes shatter from his side, immediatly he turned seeing Serenade on one knee holding his chest; panting slightly.

"You think I am a fool?" the Master of Games questioned uninspired, "I watched how you fight and I know everything about your combat st-" Cero jumps on his head and paws into his eye sockets.

The Master of Games yelps in pain. "Can you see now?" Cero barks smuggly with paws still pressed in Master of Games eyes.

"Get off of me!" The Master of Games roars still stunned.

"Nope. I don't feel lik-" Cero whimpers slightly when the Master of Games grabbed.

Master of Games rubs eyes with his free hand as he brings Cero to his face, "I got you now you little rat!"

Cero looks up to the Master of Games, "If you say so..." Cero replies slyly before shadowmelding out of his hand.

Master of Games Blinks, "Wha-?" a piece of the stone spear clobbers the Master of Games shattering into rocks that litter the place.

The Master of Games stumbles back nearly falling down. Hearing Raven chant and seeing the rocks all over the floor, he quickly forces the rocks to shoot at Raven, stopping her attack. A shadow bolt strikes the Master of Games from the side making him stagger slightly. He turns quickly seeing Cero launch another, with a quick side step he counters back with multiple streams of energy. Cero unleashes his own stream and it smacks against those that the Master of Games released unleashing a strong gale of wind.

"No puny dog can stop me..." The Master of Games speaks.

Struggling and losing the power battle Cero whimpers, "Master... need some help here!"

"Why would I help you for?" the Master of Games asks unknowingly.

Serenade decloaks behind Cero, "I am his Master," he informs with one hand raised, "Let go Cero."

Cero lets go of his energy, immediately Serenade's hand erupts a bolt of his neon black purple fire energy. With the beams of The Master of Games flashing towards them, the bolt of energy meets the beams but seemed to have been erased mere inches away from Serenade's bolt. The Master of Games remembering this from the view of Serenade's and Blackfire's battle stops his attack and dodges Serenade's bolt. _How can a single bolt of energy take on five different beams of energy?_

Raven's dark energy grasps the Master of Games within a dark talon and starts to squeeze the Master of Games. The Master of Games spots Raven and blasts her with Starfire's eye beam attack which sends her plummeting to the floor. Cero catches Raven with his powers and set herr down gently, "Careful..." Cero barks scurrying at the Master of Games.

Raven looks to Cero who weaved passed the energy attacks that the Master of Games unleashed at him. _He caught and saved me..._ She looks at Master of Games try to hit Cero as Cero splits into four. _But I can't catch to save him? Why?_

Master of Games earth spikes a fake Cero, "Sorry you lose..." Cero mocks before the Master of Games was dropped kicked in the back of the head by Serenade.

On the floor the Master of Games growls in frustration and pain, he slowly picks himself up "You will pay for th-!" Serenade kicked him in the ribs flipping him over. The Master of Games sees the barrel of Serenade's shotgun, "No!"

Raven gasps just before the gun blasts out and simultaneously with the balst she closed her eyes. _He didn't... could he?_

The Master of Games opens his eyes and realizes that he wasn't hit. With an earth spike plowing Serenade from the side, the Master of Games rises, "Fool how can you miss so close?" Master of Games gets up with the earth spike levitating over Serenade, "This earth manipulation is superior..."

Raven opens her eyes seeing the earth spike over Serenade, who was on the floor grasping his arm tightly and wincing. "Serenade!" With a blinding scare Raven rips out the mantle, getting ready to swat the Master of Games with it.

_"Wait..."_ Cero speaks telepathically to Raven.

_"WAIT? ARE YOU CRAZY?" _Raven snaps back via Telepath.

"Unlike you Serenade I will not miss..." Master of Games spoke sadistic like with a stare just as blank and emotionaless.

Serenade growls holding his left arm where the earth spike struck, "I didn't..." he winced a small whimper, "... Miss!"

"Huh?" the Master of Games replied confounded.

A small crackling sound echoes out but this time was followed by a loud shattering sound. The light bloomed out blinding the whole area for a few seconds before dying down. All the girls trapped within the amulet were free... and pissed off.

The Master of Games breath stuttered, "N-n-no not aga-" Raven clobbers him with the mantle from behind which sent him flying like a golf ball.

He smacks the wall and hits the ground with a thud. Serenade walks casually over to him, "Cero grab this bastard..." Almost instantly the Master of Games was lifted into the air, struggling to break free of the shadow energy that strangled him. A good ten seconds passed before Serenade close by shouts, "Enough..."

The Master of Games falls to the floor on his knees and then to his hands panting out of breath but again was picked up by Serenade from the neck.

He brought the Master of Games to his face, "You coward, preying on unsuspecting supers with this challenge," Serenade scolds with Twin Hook shining by the Master of Games face, "I should just kill you."

Struggling and out of breath, "No, please!" The Master of Games pleaded, "I am sorry..."

"Don't kill him Serenade..." Raven says a little shaky, "Sure, he might deserve it, but still it's not the right thing to do."

Serenade looks to Raven who was trembling slightly, "Fine..." he grunts a sigh before he looks to the Master of Games. At the corner of his eyes he sees the girls surround him; Serenade smirks, "Yes, you are sorry..." he replied sinisterly, "For you have underestimated the power of the females." Serenade turns to the group of girls, "It looks like it's going to be you versus the females!"

He tosses the Master of Games back to his feet and walks out of the cirlce of the angry girls. The Master of Games looks around him seeing all the angry faces glaring at him along with energy emitting hands. Moments later energy started blasting and flashing.

Serenade comes to Raven. "Aren't you going to join in on the vengeance beating Seeress?"

Raven looked seeing Blackfire and Starfire smacking the Master in the air to each other as if he was volleyball as the others shot at him as if he was a clay pigeon.

"No, I already clobbered him like a baseball..." she replies with a small smirk, "I just want to go home."

"Well seeing that everyone is busy jumping the Master of Games, we'll wait a bit..."

- The Tower, Living Room -

After an hour of traveling and shadowmelding, the five found themselves in the tower with Starfire explaining to the guys about their similar adventure. Serenade retreated out of the living room as Starfire explained...

"Me and sister Blackfire never had so much fun together as we smacked the Game Master around in the air!" Starfire finished, "Oh how I wish she used her powers for good instead of evil."

Beast Boy snickers, "The Master of Games thought Serenade was a girl!" he shouted out laughing unable to maintain himself any longer. He rolled around the floor holding his gut, "Dude that's hilarious!" Beast Boy shouts before laughing again.

"Sounds like quite an adventure," Robin comments just relieved that they were safe, "I am just glad you guys are back home, safely."

"As am I," Starfire agrees noticing that Serenade and Raven were not present, "Where did friends Raven and Serenade gone too?"

"Raven is right h-" Cyborg starts turning to an empty spot besides him, "... here... Uh, never mind."

"Probably with Serenade no doubt," Beast Boy comments delinquent like, "She likes Serenade..." he ends with a loud whisper.

"No..." Cyborg elongates sarcastic and naive like, "You think?"

"Enough," Robin says firmly, "I don't want this becoming a problem."

"Geeze... okay..." Beast Boy comments timidly surprised by Robins tone.

Cyborgs stomach growls loudly, "I am hungry!" He announces rubbing his belly, "Let's go for a pizza!"

"Sounds good..." Terra comments coming into the living room.

"Alright! I'll see if Raven wants to come..." Cyborg comments

- Tower Roof -

Serenade was leaning against an AC unit as he rubbed his arm.

"Are you okay?" Raven asks spooking Serenade a bit.

He looks to her, "Yeah, just sprung."

"Cyborg won't mind taking a look at your arm..." Raven suggests, "He'll help you."

"I will be fine, I've endured far worse pain."

She raises a brow, "Are you sure?"

"Yup. Good enough to sing still..."

"Really now?" Raven monotones uninspired, "Then prove it."

"As you wish, Seeress..."

Raven watches and listens intently. _Hopefully I get to hear the whole thing._

Serenade takes in a deep breath and exhales, before starting...

"An old man turned ninety-eight he won the lottery, died the next day. It's a black fly in your chardonnay. It's a death row pardon two minutes too late. And isn't it ironic don't you think?

... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride when you've already paid. It's the good advice that you just couldn't take. And who would've thought it figures?

... Mr. "Play It Safe" was afraid to fly. He packed his suitcase, kissed his kids goodbye. He waited his whole damn life to take that flight. And as the plane crashed down he thought, _well isn't this nice?_ And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride, when you've already paid. It's the good advice you just didn't take. And who would've thought, it figures?

... Life has a funny way of sneaking up you when you think everything's okay and everything's is going right. And life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up In your face.

... A traffic jam when you're already la-"

"Yo! Raven! Serenade!" Cyborg's voice booms out, "We're going out too eat, you wanna come?"

Raven facepalms shaking her head numbly and frustrated like, "Why?" she whispers to herself.

Serenade looks to Cyborg, "Seeing that Cero and Beast Boy almost destroyed the last place, I think I have too go."

"Raven?" Cyborg then asks not hearing her.

"Yeah..." she sighs uneasily.

- The Tower, Living Room -

The day passes in almost an instant and midnight approaches; mostly everyone in the tower is sleeping, except for Raven who continued to read in the living room... Or at least she tried too. _Why would he eliminate himself for? It doesn't make any sense!_

She shuts her book closed a little frustrated by the questions that barrage her mind. She then takes in a quick breath and air, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..." she chants lightly exhaling which calms her. She looks to Cero who oddly fell asleep on the sofa again, with legs protruding out stiffly. _Serenade's going to give me that I am Azarath's Honor Guardian stuff if I ask him. If Serenade won't bark maybe Cero will..._

"Uh... Cero?" Raven says lowly. Cero's ears just twitched, "Cero..." Raven calls a little louder.

He stirs slightly, "Penguins..." he mumbles pawing his face in his sleep.

"What?" Raven says confused before she prods him, "Cero."

He stirs again but flips over to his other side, "Moldy... Corn..." he mumbles in his sleep. Raven shakes him slightly which wakes him up. He gets to his feet and stretches out, "Morning already?" he comments half asleep as he looks up to Raven.

"Uh, no it's midnight..."

Cero shakes off the half asleep feeling, "Why wake me up for?"

"I wanted ask you some que-"

"I already know the reason why," he interrupts sitting giving a yawn afterward.

"You do?"

"It's always the same reason from each female that is either, smitten, attracted or interested in the Master from all the past times and the dimensions we visit. Why is it that you females always have to bug me? Especially when I am sleeping?"

"Well, um..." Raven stalls a little sheepish.

"You females always expect me to have all the answers, I don't and even if I did; I wouldn't bark for I honor my Master's privacy."

She looks to Cero's golden eyes "So you're not going to say anything?" she monotones.

"Ask and I shall answer, what I deem that's non-sacred... or whatever I cannot answer."

"Why would Serenade eliminate himself in-"

"The Master did not eliminate himself, Terra earth spiked him by surprise for he wasn't wearing his cloak, which protects him greatly."

"That's somewhat true, but he shot himself with a shotgun, even knowing that I was point blank in front of him..."

Cero blinks confused, "Really?" Raven nods her answer, "I don't sense any malice coming from you."

"I am telling the truth," she monotones a little disgruntled.

"Well I am sorry to say, I don't have that answer. The only person that does would be the Master himself."

"Yeah... I thought so..." she sighs a little weary looking to the floor.

"Anything else you wish to know?"

_"You like the old furry don't you?"_ Terra's word came to her mind. "How old is Serenade exactly?" Raven then asks, "He isn't like fifty is he?"

"No, the Master is not fifty... he's fifty-seven."

"What?" Raven snaps a look to him disbelievingly. _Great I am interested in a grandpa..._

Cero laughs as he rolls around on the couch, after a minute he lays on his belly, "You should have seen the look on your face..." he says giddily.

She blushes in anger and embarrassment, "Cero..." she growls keeping her emotions in check.

"No, the Master is... well it's somewhat complicated..."

"Complicated? How?"

"I won't get into all the details and have a commentary about the Master, however he equals the age of a twenty-three year old male human."

"Really now?" Raven asks a little suspicious. _I should just let it go at that._

"Most of you females over estimate his age due to the color of his mane," he adds professional and docile like, "Which is his natural mane color."

"You talk like Serenade, why?"

He sits up, "Well I am a dog ain't I?"

"Yeah, but Serenade's a furry-dog, you're just a dog-dog..."

"That maybe true, but we animals and furries, or anthros, share the same basic communication and instinctual outlook. Though I admit that furries are more civilized and are not as feral as their animalia counterparts, but still they still share basic instinctual outlook."

"So uh..." she stalls briefly, "What attracts Serenade then? Seeing you're a dog and his somewhat a dog."

"I believed he revealed to you that he likes purple. especially of that of the mane and eyes... Wait... how old are you again?"

"Seventeen going on eighteen, soon..."

"Why do you females always wish to be... bounded at a young age for?"

She thought of an answer other than the one that she was the end of the world, the ticking time bomb that exploded on her eighteenth birthday, and wanted to know the feeling of love before she wiped the planet void of life.

"It's Azarath custom for royalty to search for a Mate, fore-say by your terms, at the coming of our eighteenth birthday..." she made up coolly on the spot.

"Really now?" Cero replies surprised, "Maybe you might get what you desire, but it'll have to wait in due time..." _Lair... but why?_

She gives a light sigh, "So is there anything else?" _That was a close one... can't believe he believed that._

"Yes, do **NOT** attempt to seduce the Master," he replies with much emphasis, "It usually epically fails... however if the Master comes on to you," he pauses briefly, "That is up to you what you wish to do, but beware that the aftermath may not be what you desired."

"I don't plan to become a teen mother or be on some TV show."

"It's not that, the Master is careful and cautious about those kinds of things, what I meant is that, if it does happen, don't expect that you'll both live happily ever after."

She nods her acknowledgment, "Got it..." _I don't intend to live happily ever after..._

"Okay then," he sighs slightly tiredly, "Is there anything else?"

Raven rises from the sofa, "Nope, I am gonna go to sleep... it's almost one in the morning."

"Very well..." Cero replies with a yawn as he curls up in a ball, "Good night and good luck..." Cero watches Raven leave the living room. _When love and death embrace..._


	10. Outfits and Outings

New Stuff! No comments? Either my readers are a tough crowd, are lazy or are mute...

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**- Outfits and Outings -**

- Titan Tower, Living Room -

The next morning comes, most of the team was sleeping in on the Saturday morning; except for Robin of course. Raven comes into the living room. _Okay, probably standing near the window like always... just need to ask him o- _ Her mind stops thinking seeing Serenade without his hood on, sit on the couch with Cero on the other side of it, sleeping. She came a little closer before stopping seeing that Serenade's eyes were closed. _Is he sleeping?_

Cero stirs in his sleep and mumbles in his sleep. "Evil Demon..." he flips to his other side, "... Turkeys."

Serenade's ear closest to Cero perked up briefly in a state of alert. A couple of second pass before it went back to normal.

Raven shakes her head, "Cero has some weird sleep talk phrases," she whispers to herself.

Both of Serenade's ears shifted directly at Raven; soon after his eyes opened slowly locked onto her as well. He rubs his eyes quickly, "What did you say?" he comments sleepily.

For some odd reason she felt on the spot far more than ever before as she stared at Serenade. She was somewhat used to his eyes staring at her, but his ears got to her. They were just locked onto her listening carefully, detecting every sound. In a sense in her mind his ears were like another pair of eyes that saw the world through sound.

"Uh..." she stalled timidly.

Serenade stands up, "You said something right?"

The glass of the coffee table shatters with the glass showering to the floor. Cero jumps up barking loudly on instinct.

"Quiet Cero," Serenade shushes before turning to Raven. "Is something the matter?"

"I-I..." she stutters with the light bulbs from the ceiling fan popping one by one, "I-I have too go!" Immediately Raven turns away and retreats from the living room. _This is not happening! Not now..._

Serenade tilts his head, "Okay... wonder what that was all about?"

Cero shrugs, "Don't know."

Raven comes to her room and closes the door behind her quickly with her back leaning against the door bracing it for some odd reason. The books from her bookshelf start falling to the floor. Quickly she takes a deep breath and exhales, "Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos..." The books stop falling out from her shelf. She sighs, "This maybe harder than I think."

- Noon -

Cero watched Cyborg from the counter as Cyborg cooked numerous of different dishes. "Why must you wear a chiefs hat and an apron?" Cero asks about Cyborgs apparel.

"You gotta look the look if you wanna be the cook!" he hollers before taking a sample taste of his chili, "Mmmm-mmm!" he then hums contently.

Cero looks at all the food made and realizes that most of it was meat or was fitted in with meat some how or another. "Isn't Beast Boy a vegan?"

"Beast Boy ain't gonna be here until later on." Cyborg grabs a handful of habanero peppers, "Needs more chili..."

"Why is that?"

Cyborg grabs another handful of habaneros, "Can't be chili if it ain't hot you know?"

"No not that... I meant about Beast Boy." _Does he know what his doing? That's a lot of habaneros._

"Oh! Something about hanging out with Terra," he starts as he stirs his chili, "Sounds to me more like a date, but he is too chicken to ask her out on a date."

"I see..."

Just a door away Beast Boy was in the living room staring at Serenade's dog ears. Serenade felt the stare of Beast Boy as he leaned against the wall near the window.

"I am not a werewolf Beast Boy," Serenade again comments disgruntled.

"Terra told me she heard you howling the night we were abducted by the Master of Games!"

Serenade sighs shaking his head annoyed like. _Why does everyone think I am a Werewolf for?_

In the hallway to the living room came Terra who was met by Raven.

"Hi Raven..." Terra greeted casually.

Raven stops looking at Terra that was wearing a jean mini skirt instead of her typical shorts and a short sleeve T-shirt instead of her usual long sleeve, "Uh... hi?"

"It's the skirt isn't it?" Terra asks noticing Ravens surprise, "I just thought I'd try a new outfit."

Raven raised a brow, "Really now?"

"I am not trying to steal Serenade from you so calm down..."

Raven kept her anger in check, "Cute..." she monotones sarcastically, "I was referring my _really now_ as you to possibly teasing Beast Boy."

"Pffft... like I would do that," Terra comments before walking off to the living room.

Raven follows quietly at a distance.

Terra enters through the door to the living room and walks to were Serenade and Beast Boy were bickering.

"Dang it Beast Boy," Serenade says angrily, "I am NOT a werewolf!"

"Prove it!" Beast Boy counters back.

Serenade sees Terra at the corner of his eye walking toward them, "Terra can you tell Beast Boy here that I am not a were-" he stops abruptly seeing Terra's new dress attire.

Raven notices this and stops at the door frame to the living room. Serenade whistles like a construction worker seeing a fine dame walking pass, to tease Terra. Beast Boy was bedazzled and large sparkly eyed and didn't say anything.

Terra shies away slightly blushing, "Thanks..." she smiles shyly.

Cyborg steps in with a tray of glass pint mugs, "Who wants to try Grandma Cyborg's Famous Lemonade!" The mugs shatter on the tray in a black energy. Cyborg drips of lemonade, "Great... you know how long it took to squeeze all those lemons, by hand?" he pouts retreating back into the kitchen.

"What was that?" Beast Boy comments with the bedazzled feeling shaken off.

"Sorry my bad..." Cero barks coming through the doorway from the kitchen, "I had a sample of Cyborg's chili and it was too hot to handle." _What made her lose her powers this time? Was it... oh... I see now..._

- Raven's Room -

Raven closes the door shut almost slamming it. The books from her shelf all fly out at once littering the whole bedroom floor. _What the hell! Really now? Damn you Terra! I can't even get a single straight forward comment-_ There was a knock on the door.

"Raven are you okay?" Robin asks from the other side.

Raven takes in a deep breath, "Yes..." she replies somewhat in a hostile monotone.

"Umm... okay then." Robin leaves it like that before he turns away walking to the living room.

Raven sighs opening the door, "Robin."

He turns to Raven, "What's up?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How did you ask out Starfire on that one time when Blackfire came to Earth?"

Robin's right hand slips behind his neck, "Uh..." he stalls sheepishly with a corny smile, "I never actually did..."

"So you just hung out?"

"Basically..." Robin tutted.

"Great..." Raven sighs.

"Asking Starfire out ha-"

Starfire shoots to Robin hearing his unfinished question, "Is it true! You wish to ask for an outting?" she said giddily and sparkly eyed.

Robin nearly falling back from Starfire's surprise recovers, "Uh..." he looks at Starfire with hopeful sparkly green eyes just waiting and dying for a **yes**. "... Yes..." he says with a hard swallow.

Starfire squeals in joy, "I will be ready in an hour!" she shouts flashing into her room.

"Wow..." Raven monotones. _And I thought I was having problems asking someone out..._

Robin sighs, "You know... that was a little easier than expected."

"Yeah, when you know the one you're going to ask you out likes you too..." the words slip out from her mouth.

Robin with his detective like mindset figures out Raven's question. "It's Serenade isn't it?" he asks with a smug like smile, so sure of himself. Raven nods defeated, "Why don't you ask just him?"

Raven raises a brow, "Like you just did with Starfire right now? By mistake?" she counters.

"Touche..." Cero comments appearing out of nowhere.

The two quickly looked to Cero spooked, "Cero? What are you doing here?" Raven asks a little uneasily.

"Raven it's okay, I know..." Cero replies simply before looking to Robin, "Shouldn't you be getting ready? I really doubt Starfire will be in here combat uniform."

"Yeah, I should." Robin says a little uneasily before walking off.

"So, you heard everything?" Raven asks Cero.

"Pretty much." Cero sits down, "Asking out the Master, hmmm..."

Raven waits as Cero thinks, a couple of seconds pass, "Okay anytime now?"

"I have to say it will be a first. Never have I heard of the Master being asked out by a female before on a date. But I think I can suede him to **hang out** with you..."

"Really?"

"Robin and Starfire, no doubt like each other, so they are going out. Terra and Beast Boy, mainly just friends, are hanging out. So why cant you hang out with the Master too?" Cero stands, "I will speak with the Master, you just be ready in your room."

"Okay..." Raven replies a little uneasily, with the butterfly feeling in her stomach.

Raven starts back to her room. _I hope this works..._

_"Oh yeah..."_ Cero speaks telepathically to her, _"Perhaps you should change your attire, after all your just hanging out, not working..."_

Raven enters here room and looks at her somewhat opened closet filled with only one outfit. _Great... how am I supposed to change my dress attire?_

- Living Room -

Thirty minutes pass, Beast Boy and Terra left the tower soon after Cero left to talk to Raven. Robin waited in the living room sitting on the sofa in his tuxedo, the same very one he was forced to date Kitten.

"Looking sharp, what's the occasion?" Serenade comments finally due to boredom.

"Taking Starfire on a... uh..." Robin stalls.

"Date?" Serenade finishes for him, "Seems that everyone's going out today..."

Cero hearing this opens his mouth, "I know, it's all of the sudden." _Now how do I not get caught influencing the Ma-_

"Serenade, why don't you ask Raven out?" Robin suggests unknowingly of Cero plan.

Cero face paws. _Dang it... Robin blew it..._

Serenade thinks silently with hand on his chin. Robin continues, "I mean most of us are hanging out, look at Terra and Beast Boy for instance. And plus Raven never comes out of her room, think it may be good for her if she gets out of here for awhile, I think for you as well."

"I am a bit bored here," Serenade comments thoughtfully, "And Raven does seem to be slightly edgy lately."

Robin listens looking at Serenade for a for sure answer. _Tell me about it..._

Cyborg steps in, "The food is DONE!" he announces happily, "Time to-"

Serenade stands from his lean on the wall, "I guess there is no harm done getting out of the Tower. Gonna see if Raven wishes to do something."

"Say what?" Cyborg exclaims quickly, "Everyone's leaving me here alone? Why didn't anyone invite me?" he finishes slightful tearful being left out.

"I am not going anywhere," Cero informs, "I will gladly st-"

Cyborg swipes Cero from the floor, "CERO my man! Or dog!" Cyborg shouts happily, "We'll eat all the food, mainly I will, but we'll still hang out!"

Starfire steps in, "I am nice?" she asks the room.

They looked to her wearing the purple prom dress that like Robin, she wore when Robin was forced to take her to the prom.

"Whoa.." Cyborg comments, "Looking good Star!"

"Thank you..." she says a little shyly waiting for a reply from Robin.

"You look nice Starfire," Serenade comments nudging Robin.

Robin's stunned awe was shaken off, "Uh... you look awesome Starfire."

"Many thanks Robin..." she says with a slight blush, "I have only worn this dress once during the time that you were forced to date that awful, spoiled, inconsiderate, self centered, wretched..." Starfire rants on about her dislike of Kitten.

"I never thought Starfire had hate in her," Cero comments listening to her rant to Robin.

"I know right?" Cyborg agrees.

"... and annoying Kitten!" she finishes with a spiteful growl. She takes in a deep breath before going back to her normal self, "So it is only fair that wear it on a graceful occasion."

"Well, I am going to go see what Raven's doing then..." Serenade says walking to the hall way.

"Shall we go?" Starfire asks Robin.

Robin nods, "Cyborg, I am going to burrow the T-Car."

"You better take care of her and I mean the car!" The two walk off and Cyborg looks to Cero, "So what first Cero?"

"How about some of that chili?"

"You're talking my talk now!" he announces merrily.

- Raven's Room -

Raven sat on her bed somewhat uninspired. _It's been too long already, it didn't work and plus I don't even have anything else to we- _A knock came to her door, her heart stopped for a moment in surprise. _It can't be..._

"Yeah?" she calls out still sitting on her bed.

"Raven it's Serenade..." he starts, "Seeing that everyone else is going out and hanging out today, me being bored too death. I was wondering if you want to something." There was a long silence from behind the door, "Uh... Raven?"

"Uh... Sure!" she replies a little excitedly, "Just let me get ready." _Great, what will I wear now?_

"Any place you have in mind?"

_Not pizza... where else do we go? The mall? No that's for shopping... there's the park... _"How about the park?" she says not knowing any other place really.

"Very well I will wait for you to get re-"

"Actually can you meet me there?"

"Uh... sure. I will see you there then."

_Okay now what to wear?_ Raven's mind races thinking on what she is going to wear, which was a first for her in many ways. Something comes to mind, "He likes purple... I think I may have an idea..."

- The Downtown Park -

Serenade waits patiently sitting on a bench near a fountain in the center of the park. Mostly every person that passed by him stared at him for awhile before continuing on with their lives. The reason why was because he wasn't wearing his cloak.

"Are you a Werewolf?" some random teen female asks with two of her friends behind her.

Serenade sighs annoyed, "I am not a Werewolf..." Raven's scent came to his nose, one of spices and alchemy ingredients. _Finally... _ "I shall serenade a song..." Serenade says all of the sudden before taking in a deep breath.

"An old man turned ninety-eight he won the lottery, died the next day. It's a black fly in your chardonnay. It's a death row pardon two minutes too late. And isn't it ironic don't you think?

... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride when you've already paid. It's the good advice that you just couldn't take. And who would've thought it figures?

... Mr. "Play It Safe" was afraid to fly. He packed his suitcase, kissed his kids goodbye. He waited his whole damn life to take that flight. And as the plane crashed down he thought, well isn't this nice? And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

... It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride, when you've already paid. It's the good advice you just didn't take. And who would've thought, it figures?

... Life has a funny way of sneaking up you when you think everything's okay and everything's is going right. And life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up In your face.

... A traffic jam when you're already late. A no smoking sign on your cigarette break. It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. It's meeting the man of your dreams..." he steps back to be beside Raven then puts an arm around her, "... and then meeting his beautiful wife."

Raven's eyes met Serenade's as she looked to him as he had his arm over her "Uh..." she prolongs stunned.

"... And isn't it ironic? Don't you think? A little bit too ironic, yeah I really do think." He looks away and takes his arm off of Raven, "It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride when you've already paid. It's the good advice that you just couldn't take. And who would've thought it figures...?" he finally finishes.

"Wait, Raven is your wife?" one of the girls ask.

"No, she's my girlfriend," Serenade lies coolly.

"Girlfriend?"The three girls squeak.

"Yeah, sorry females," Serenade replies with false regret, "Move along..."

They walk off disappointingly, giving Raven a mean mug of jealously. Raven crosses her arms underneath her cloak and raises a brow, "When did I become your girlfriend all of the sudden?"

"It was either that or have them follow us, follow me, all over the place. Ogling me and asking me if I am a Werewolf." He sighs annoyed like, "You don't know how annoying that is..."

"So what made you not wear your cloak today?"

"Saw that Terra, Robin and Starfire being different in there dress attire; so I guess I should try it too." He looks to Raven who was still wrapped up snugly in her cloak, "And you got ready how?"

"I uh..." she stalled a little embarrassed.

"You're wearing a bikini?" Serenade guesses.

"No." she monotones quickly.

"Then?"

Raven sighs and releases her grasp of her cloak that sways open.

Serenade blinks twice, "Wow... really now?"

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><p><strong>- Disclaimer - <strong>

The song serenaded by Serenade is not owned by me, nor are its lyrics, anything about the song is not owned by me. The song serenaded is **Alanis Morissette's "Ironic"**. Was re-worded up a bit to fit Serenade, but the integrity of the lyrics still remain.


	11. First Date

Blah... been forever and a half since I posted anything! Here you people go, comment so I know people still be reading this. :p

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><p><strong>- Chapter 11 -<strong>

**- First Date -**

"So tell me Starfire, when did you decide to cut and die your hair purple?" Serenade asks naive like, "And won't friend Raven be angry for stealing her cloak?"

Raven raises a brow, "Really now?" she monotones annoyed.

A bicyclists strolls by catching a quick glimpse of Raven, he turns his head forward but then instantly turns it back to Raven; rubber necking stunned, "Is that Ra-?" his collision into a hot dog cart stops his sentence.

"Ah, hell…" Serenade comments, "See what you're doing you're startling people Starf- I mean Raven…"

She sighs defeated like, "I get it. It's not my look... I'll be ba-"

"Hell you're body goes good with that outfit just as it does on Starfire," he adds then finishes with a a whistle.

She cracks a smile trying not to let her blush overcome her, "Uh... thanks?"

"You're still not used to it?"

She looks to him, "Too what?"

"I'll tell you later..." he trails looking around the park, "So now what?"

"What?"

"I don't know... you wanted to come here..."

Raven quickly looks around the park for ideas. _ What to do? _ The other people in the park were mostly walking and having conversation, others played outdoor games, some relaxed while eating or reading. _I am not good with games or outdoors for that reason... and for sure I am not going read!_

"Uh... how about a walk?" she suggested a little uncertain.

He crosses his arms a little disgruntled," Are you suggesting that because I am a dog?"

A small smirk comes over her face, "That reason didn't even cross my mind," she replies her normal monotone self, "Should I get your leash?"

"Should I go get Silkie?"

"Touche..."

"Shall we start walking?"

Raven starts the slow place walk along a less busy path with Serenade trailing beside her. It was silent... _What should I say?_

"Hmm..." he mums, "Are we having a nature walk?"

She shakes her head, "No... I don't know what to say. It's not like I've been on many dates you know? Actually this is my fir-"

He stops, "A Date?" he stops with a tilt of his head.

She steps once more and stumbles. _Great... I just blew it... _She stands up and turns to him slowly, "Uh..." she stalls with some of the nearby parks laterns breaking.

His arms crossed and his eyes closed in disappointment, "It that why you're all dolled up?" She remained silent not knowing what to say. He opened his eyes looking at hers, "Hell and here I thought you secretly cos-played like Starfire on the weekends..."

She blinked at the response, "Are you angry?" she asks uncertain, unable to tell his tone and body language.

He starts walking, "I don't know..." he answers walking passed her.

"Huh?" She quickly catches up coming to his side, "You don't know?"

He shrugs, "As I said **I don't know**."

"You don't seem angry or against it."

He looks to her, "I could just ditch you..." he said a bit coldly. She frowns with eyes sinking to the ground, "But what kind of first date would that be to remember?" he adds with his normal voice. Her eyes bounced back up to him, "Then it might scar you for life, leading you to fall into the dark side or something crazy; then you might end up blowing up the world. All because of a bad first date…"

She scratched the back of her head timidly, "Uh… yeah…" she replies with a weak chuckle. _I don't think it will be because of a date…_

He stops abruptly, "So what do you want to do?"

"Uh… you do know that I haven't been on many dates before, right?"

He crosses his arms, "Well, I would think that all the reading you do you would at least once pick up a dating magazine or something of the sort."

"That's more of Starfire's thing…"

He shakes his head, "So you have absolutely no idea on what to do on something you wanted to do?" She didn't give a reply as she fumbled with her fingers. He sighs reluctantly, "How about something to eat?" he suggests. "It's a classic dating thing... you know?"

"Just as long as it's not pizza."

-The Tower, Living Room-

The sound of video games amps from the TV, usually this wouldn't be tolerated, especially by Raven, but seeing that everyone was out; Cyborg always wanted to try out his surround sound system, to the max.

Cyborg clenched his teeth as he button mashed the controllers buttons, "No you don't! You ain't getting me again Cero!" A few seconds passed before a failure mocking tone sounded as Cyborg's character died in the game. He face palms annoyed like, "How are you able to do that? And you don't even have opposable thumbs!"

Cero shrugs, "I use my mind?"

"Okay... best fourteen out of twenty-seven!"

Cero blinks, "Isn't there anything else you do? Or at least another game, more preferably Co-operative play?"

Without warning Cyborg restarts the rematch, "At least one more TIME!"

"Hey! I am not ready!" Cero barks scrambling for control.

Both were into the game once more, Cyborg this time was winning. A sound of an alarm wailed out, barely audible over the loudness of the game.

"WHAT THE?!" Cyborg roared disbelievingly, "How do you have your Nuclear Torpedo ALREADY?!"

"That's not the game!" Cero barks out over all the noise, "It's the tower's alarm response system!"

Cyborg paused the game and quickly muted the game; only to realize that Cero was right. He jumps up to his feet, "Ah man... great right now?!" he pouts.

Cero paws his ears, "GAH! Make it stop!" he yelps.

Cyborg already at the computer silences the alarm and begins to read the Emergency Response message, "Seems someones terrorizing a local Burger Joint in the city." About to inform the other Titans with a push of a button he stops... _I don't want to ruin everyone's dates..._

"Is there something a matter?" Cero asks curiously.

He looks to Cero with a smirk, "You think we can take on this person by ourselves?"

"Why not?" Cero replies smugly.

"Alright! Let's go kick some butt!" Cyborg chants running, "And after that we can get some Cheese Burgers!"

Cero scurries keeping up with Cyborg, "Hungry again?" he comments a little appalled, "We just ate."

"Yeah, we'll go through the Drive Thru afterwards!"

"I thought Robin took the car?"

Cyborg stops in his tracks, "Aw dang it! I forgot!"

- Jump City, Apache Moe's Steakhouse -

Both Serenade and Raven find themselves in a western themed steakhouse that had the atmosphere of a Wild West Saloon with its wooden floors, wooden Indian statues, wanted posters and the occasional live piano melody played by their piano man.

The dating scene was new to Raven, but Serenade's view of her was not her only challenge; for the steakhouse patrons stared as well. She sat quietly, meditating within her mind to keep her powers in check; but she sensed that Serenade was uneasy; which was a first.

Serenade shakes his head disturbed, "It's like these people never seen dog," he huffs a bit agitated.

"They've seen dogs... not dog-men," she attempts to calm him.

He sighs calming down, "I guess you are right." He looks to her, "No sense of ruining this just because of some... **humans**," he ends distastefully.

"Sounds like you don't like humans, care to share why?"

He muses a tut, "Hell I wish I knew why too." The waiter passes by, "Hey Waiter!" he summons quickly.

The waiter turns around, "How may I help you sir?"

"You sell Alcohol?"

"Yes sir, we carry a wide variety of drinks, spirits and drafts," the waiter hands Serenade a pamphlet, "Here you go sir."

"Well then..." Serenade muses sitting up as he skims through the small pamphlet of drinks, "Get me a shot of Tequila- oh! And get me a Mudslide too!"

"Right away sir!"

He looks back to Raven who was given him the brow, "Really you're going to drink?" she monotones.

"I am of legal age to drink," he replies unfazed, "Hadn't had a mudslide in years..."

"Mudslide?" She comments on the name, "With a word **Mud** I can't imagine how nasty of a drink it is."

Serenade blinks at the comment, "Nasty? Its just like a Mil-" The same waiter returns with a deployable stand which he quickly then set the serving tray upon it.

"Who got the steak with the baked potato?" the waiter asks looking to the too with plate in hand.

"Baked potato?" Serenade says quickly, "I wanted fully loa-"

"I did..." Raven acknowledges.

Serenade looks to Raven, "You got a steak, too?"

She gives a small smirk, "What? I can't get one?"

"Here's your shot sir, I will be back for your mu-"

"Can you hold that one off for a bit?" Serenade interrupted, "That seems like more of a dessert."

"Certainty."

"Thanks." The waiter walks off and Serenade looks to Raven who was already eating in good manor; for in one hand knife in other. Like Raven Serenade ate the same way. A few moments of silence goes by as the two enjoyed their steaks; Raven who seemed to the most.

She stops briefly, "I haven't eaten steak..." she thought briefly, "In forever... ever since I met the team."

Serenade tilts his head and swallows the food in his mouth before speaking, "How did you meet the team?"

She blinked a little stunned, "Uh... it's sort of a long story..."

He snorts a laugh and gives a smile, "Well, we got all day and most of the night don't we?"

A smile cracked over her face which was somewhat of a strange feeling for her, "Uh... I guess?" she replies sheepish like. _Please don't act up now... especially in a public place._

"Well then, how did you meet them?" Serenade asks again giving her his undivided attention with both his eyes and ears, locked on her.

She shuttered slightly seeing his ears lock onto her; she quickly looks to the silverware in her hands that she was fumbling. _I can do this..._

"Is it confidential or something?" Serenade asks due to her long pause.

"No." She replies her normal self, "It's just been awhile since I thought about the day..."

- Jump City, Burger Emperor -

Cyborg throws open the door to restaurant, at first glance he spotted Mammoth at the front counter leaning over it to get something. Cyborg pulls out his Sonic Blaster, "I know you ain't trying to rob Burger Emperor in my city!" he hollers out.

Mammoth turns to Cyborg, "Huh?" he replies unknowingly as he pulls to him a couple of stuffed bags, "What are you talking abo-?" a cash register clocks Mammoth in the head sending him to the floor.

"I got him!" Cero yips.

The bags fall to the floor and wrapped burgers spread all over the floor out from the bag. Cyborg comes standing over the dazed Mammoth who was rubbing his hed from the hit from the cash register.

"Really now? You guys are stealing burgers?" Cyborg comments disappointed like, "How low can you Hive Five guys be?"

"SAY WHAT?!" Mammoth roars shooting up to his feet, "I paid for those!"

Fist clenched and ready Cyborg muses, "Pfft... yeah, sure you DID."

"Uh Cyborg, there is a receipt in the bag... and the order name is under **Mammoth.**" Cero regretfully informs, "I think we attacked for no reason."

Cyborg spins to Cero, "Say WHAT?!"

Some employee barges out from a small room behind the counter, "Terribly sorry!" he starts a little frantic like, "There was a mess up with the orders, things were getting little out of hand; so I put in the call. But it seemed that we were at fault and we fixed the order! Sorry!"

Cyborg face palms, "Now you tell us?"

Cero with his powers, quickly retrieves all the burgers and puts them in the bags which levitated in front of the angry Mammoth.

Cyborg scratched the back of his neck, "Uh sorry... man?" he apologizes somewhat hard to swallow.

Mammoth leers back at him giving an angry snort before swiping the levitating bags. He then storms out the building ranting a nasty mess.

Cero sits as he watched Mammoth disappear from sight, "Well... that went well."

Cyborg sighs, "At least we can get some food still."

- Jump City, Apache Moe's Steakhouse -

A couple hours pass as Raven barely started finishing her story. Already done with their meal the two decided for desert.

"Really now?" Serenade comments finishing off his Mudslide as Raven finished up her telling of how the Titans met.

Raven nods as she took a sip from her chocolate shake that was nearly finished. Somehow the world seemed to tilt a bit as if she was on a ship. She shakes her head, "Blah... I think I got brain frost or something."

"Don't you mean brain freeze?" Serenade corrects as he looks around for the waiter, "Dang it. Where can he be?"

"Wh-who are you watching for?" she says a little distantly. _What's wrong with me? I feel... numbed..._

Serenade sighs and looks back to Raven who was more blushed than usual and a little loopey looking, "Are you okay?"

Raven shakes off the numb feeling a bit, "Yeah..." she replies somewhat normally, "How about you?"

"Oddly, I am feeling fine," he starts a little disappointed like, "I should have have got at least a buzz from both the shot of Tequila and the Mudslide, but I got not-" The waiter passes, "Hey waiter!" Serenade then quickly shouts.

The waiter comes to the table, "How may I help you sir?"

Serenade picks up his glass, "Let me get another one of these Mudslides here," he says with a light shake of his glass.

Raven drinks up the last of her milkshake, making a slurping noise as she sucked up the whip cream in the glass. "That was an awesome... milkshake..."

The waiter looks at Serenade's glass seeing something off about it, "Sir, did you order a mudslide without whipped cream?"

Serenade snaps his fingers, "That's what was missing! The whipped cream! No I didn't order one without whipped cream."

"Sir, our milkshakes aren't served topped with whipped cream... unless you order it too."

"They don't? Then I got a milkshake then? No wonder why I didn't get a-"

Raven giggles out, "Stop... shaking the room Serenade..."

"Ah hell..." Serenade face palms.

Raven gets out of her seat, "I'ma... going to go ladies call the telephone room," she says before collapsing to the floor.

Serenade sighs, "Well at least one of us is buzzing." He looks to the waiter who stared at Raven on the floor, "I'll take the tab about now..."

"Right away, sir."

Serenade crouches down near Raven, "Raven?" he asks, but got no response. He poked her, "Raven can you walk?" Still he got nothing. "Great, now I got to carry her out now."

- Jump City -

Whistling awoken her, she opens her eyes seeing that Serenade was carrying her through the streets of Jump City. Still under the influence she gazed at Serenade's face expecting him to be content for he was whistling, however, his expression was numb and tainted with sorrow as just his whistling tone was; sounding like the lone strangers harmonica of the Wild West. About to say something, his whistling stops...

"Loneliness surrounds me and darkness," he started a numb serenade, "Echoing the sorrow that I feel. Teardrops whisper softly in the silence, each word reminds me so much of you." He looks up to the night sky, the way he stared seemed that he was gazing up to something far past the stars. "The hazy sky fades to dark. I feel it reaching out... to my heart," he looks up to the nights sky gazing something past the stars. He continues walking once more, "Although I want... so very much to believe you'll be waiting... there for me."

"Damn..." he sighs depressed like. His head starts to move down to look at Raven, who quickly pretended to be knocked out still, "Hell... wish I was out of it about now... wouldn't have to be thinking about stuff in the past." He gives another saddened sigh, "Damn you humans for what you have done..."

- The Tower, Raven's Room -

Eventually Serenade reaches the tower without being detected by anyone else, for Raven's sake being in Starfire's attire and being drunk. He slips into her room and tucks her into her bed. He leaves her room silently going into camouflage to avoid detection. As soon as the door closed she opened her eyes sitting up with the world still wobbling around her.

"I can't believe I drank today..." she commented to herself before she thought of Serenade. _What could they have done to Serenade...?_


	12. Midnight Stalkers

Coming to the Final stretch of the story here... I hope I can finish it strong.

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><p><strong>- Chapter 12 -<strong>

**- Midnight Stalkers -**

- Titan Tower, Raven's Room -

Raven takes in a deep breath, "Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos..." she chants softly attempting to regain her hazed mind. _What did could the huma-?_

"You're back..." Cero's voice speaks out all of the sudden.

Raven's hand shined in her dark energy aimed at Cero, noticing it was Cero she sighs, "Why do you always sneak up on people?" she asks lowering her hand.

"So how did it go with you an-" He blinks and tilts his head, "You cosplay as Starfire?"

"Uh... no..." she replies embarrassed, "I sorta... uh... wore this today or yesterday on my date."

"What would possess you to wear that on a date with the Master?" A brief thought came into mind, "Oh I see... Didn't I tell you that attempting to seduce the Master was most likely going to be an epic fa-"

"I wasn't trying to seduce him!" she erupts in a embarrassed anger with some of her books from their shelves spilling to the floor.

Cero looks at the books that scatter the floor, "Well... then... okay..."

She takes in a deep breath, "I wore this because he likes purple, remember?"

Cero giggles as he rolls around on the bed, "That's... That's GOLD!"

"CERO..." she growls with the embarrassed rage coming over her again.

He lays on his belly, "The Master likes purple, no doubt, but to wear Starfire's outfit... don't you think that's a little... extreme in purple?"

She sighs reluctant like, "Well it was the only thing I thought of..."

"So again... how did it go?"

"Besides me making somewhat a fool of myself with this outfit, I think it went good."

"What you talk about?"

"I told him about how I met the team, really I did most of the talking."

"Really now?" he says sarcastically, "From someone that doesn't like to talk much."

A sheepish smile came over her face, "I know..."

"Did the Master serenade to you?"

Serenade's serenade from last night came into mind, "Uh... not really."

"**Not Really**?" he replies stumped, "What do you mean by that?"

"I sorta passed out last night and Serenade had to carry me home and th-"

"Passed out? From what?"

"I sorta... uh..." She stalled briefly looking into Cero's curious waiting eyes, "... got drunk..."

"You drank?!" Cero barked surprised.

"Uh... can you keep it quiet?" she said sheepishly, "And it was on accident."

"How can you get drunk on accident? And I thought you were supposed to be a good role model for humans."

"Serenade ordered some Rockslide drink or something. I thought it was my chocolate milkshake and I drank it; If I'd known it was an alcoholic dri-"

"The Master ordered an alcoholic drink?" Raven nods her answer, "Hmm... usually he gets a shot of Tequila..." _Is it that time near alre-?_

"He ordered that too. Between you and me, I'd prefer the Rocklide..."

"It's a Mudslide..." he corrects, "And you're an alcoholic now?"

"No," she monotones, "Blah, isn't there a way to get rid of this feeling?"

"Well... Drunkie anything else happen?"

She shakes her head, "As he carried me back to the Tower he serenaded some sad song."

He tilts his head, "He did?"

"Something about... The hazy sky fades to dark and feeling reaching for his heart. Never heard of it before..."

"I see... and he serenaded this to you directly?"

"I was passed out woke up, he started singing and I pretended to be knocked out still in his arms."

"I will take that as a **NO** then." He stands up, "Well I just wanted to see how it went. I am going to go and let you sleep." He jumps to the floor and begins his way to the shadows, he stops, "You might want to change before you go to sleep and forget you're dressed like Starfire in the morning."

- Titan Tower, Roof -

Serenade was watching the nightlife of the city, doing nothing, not really thinking nothing.

"Master?" Cero spoke from behind.

"Cero tell me how has it come to me protecting them?" Serenade speaks slightly bitter like.

"Well... they're are Raven's friends and they me-"

"Not the Team," he clarifies, "I meant the humans."

"Unfortunately that is what Raven and her friends do Master. You swore to be Azarath's Honor Guardian... which I have no idea why." Serenade didn't reply. Cero tilts his head in wonder, "Why did you do so Master? If I may ask."

"To stay close to her..." he trails off silently, "... I just couldn't leave her."

"Raven?"

Serenade shakes his head, "I grow tired Cero. I am going to meditate real quick and then sleep." Serenade begins his walk to the stairway door, "I'll be in the basement, please do not disturb me unless it's urgent."

"As you wish Master..."

- Jump City -

Robin was out doing his freelance solo patrols of the city after most of the team went to sleep. Just about done with his whole circle patrol of the city which ended just before the bridge to the tower. A female shriek breaks through the calm nights air. On instinct he rushes to the location were the scream came from, jumping from roof to roof. He came to secluded area near the industrial zone and quickly spots the teenage girl cornered into stacks of construction girders.

A loud snarl amps from the looming shadows nearby with sound of galloping that pounded the floor. The girl screams as she flinches with eyes closed, she is grabbed and swooped up. A loud crash pounds into the girders followed by an avalanche of falling metal. The steel girder stacks topple over littering the floor like a bad Jenga move.

"Get out of here!" Robin urges as he sets the stunned girl to her feet, she opens her eyes seeing him. The sounds of the girders shifting came from behind, "I **said** get out of here!" he commands deploying his staff.

The girl runs off as Robin slowly approaches the shifting twisted pile of steel girders. _What could be big enough and strong enough to knock all these steel beams down? These things weigh a ton- _The pile slides off to a side revealing something large and grey.

"Cinderblock!" Robin shouts charging forward before pole vaulting closer to Cinderblock. "I have to say that I am a little shocked that you would be chasing after girls, Cinderblock. Especially at midn-" the remaining steel girders over Cinderblock explode off and out, causing them to rain around the area. Robin jumps back from one that flipped over, dashes out from a couple few that fell from the sky and dodges the last one with a roll to the floor. Each girder that slammed the floor blew up a dust storm.

A towering shadow slowly became visible through the dust, witch came closer to Robin. Robin taking the advantage of the low visibly jumps onto the small pile of littering girders and at a good height jumps towards Cinderblock with staff over and behind his head. With a loud grunt he swings down upon Cinderblock. Something grabs the other end of this staff and whips Robin into a nearby wall braking his staff. Robing smacks into the concrete wall and then face plants the dirt.

He grunts in slight pain but more in anger as he quickly gets to his feet. He looks at his broken staff, but notices that it sliced not broken. He blinks a little confused. _Cinderblock grabbed it with his hand, the metal should be splintered, twisted and jagged._ A large steamy snort brushed over from behind Robin. He spins aournd quickly ready to throw his destroyed staff at Cinderblock, but freezes in his thoughts.

"Y-you're not Cinderbl-" without even finishing sentence Robin is swatted into a another reinforced concrete wall, this time leaving a small dent in the wall. And again he face plants the floor with a small cloud of dust blooming up around him. Against the pain he winces struggling to get back up. "What... are... you?" he asks shakily before he falls back onto his stomach.

He shakes on the floor in pain every few seconds. _Need to get the oth- _ The sounds of sniffing came loudly over his body; he freezes. The sniffing continues then stops when a displeasing sneeze erupted. Unable to fend off the overwhelming pain, Robin begins to black out. _Need to get the... others... help..._

- Titan Tower, Living Room -

Beast Boy and Terra were talking in the living room, while Cero was sleeping on the couch peacefully with no sleep talk.

"So uh.. Terra..." Beast Boy sheepishly started, "I wanted to tell you something... but I couldn't last time because you sorta left."

She looks to him with her large blue eyes, "What would that be?"

"I uh sorta... uh..." Beast Boy stalls, "L-"

Cero's ears perk up and he barks loudly, "ROBIN!" he barks loudly straggling to his feet.

"Cero!" Beast Boy said calming down, "Don't scare us like tha-!"

"Robin is endanger!" Cero barks urgently.

"Robin went to sleep about an hour ago," Terra replies, "He even said so hi-"

Without a word Cero shadowmelds them to construction site.

"What the heck dude?!" Beast Boy pouts, "Why you brin-"

"Robin?" Terra says loudly seeing somebody on the floor, "It is Robin!"

Cero dashes to Robin but skids to a stop when a shadowy figure steps out from behind the wall where Robin laid, "Poor Robin..." a recognizable sinister voice speaks sarcastically, "He should know that there is no "I" in the word "Team", and look what has happened to him."

Beast Boy recognizing the voice, "Slade!" he shouts, "What did you do to Robin?!"

"Who the hell is Slade?" Cero barked glaring at the metal cog cast iron like figure.

"Oh... please pardon my manners Cero..." Slade replies, "But isn't it obvious who Slade is?"

Beast Boy steps in front of Terra with one hand guarding her, "He is Cero, he's some psycho guy who's obsessed with Robin for some unknown reason..."

"Really now?" Cero comments, "I thought it would be of a female... but Robin? What are you his number one fan?" _How does this being know my name?_

"I can assure you two things," Slade started, "One my obsession is only matched by Robin's obsession into me and that I did not do this to my old pal, Robin."

"LIAR!" Beast Boy shouts, "Everybody knows that you want to defeat Robin!"

Slade chuckles stepping back into the shadows, "You are right Beast Boy, I want to defeat him... not destroy him... or at least not yet."

"No you don't! Cero barks shooting a beam of his energy towards Slade location, but he was no longer there. Cero dashes into the shadows, "You two should help Robin! I'll go after this Slade!"

"Wait! Cero! No!" Beast Boy shouts but like Slade he was gone too within the shadows. He then comes to Robin's side, "Oh man! Slade kicked his butt bad! We need Cyborg!" He quickly grasps his communicator calling for help.

- Titan Tower, Medical Bay -

Most of the team watches Robin laying in a gurney, with Starfire being the only one not knowing of the event

Cyborg snorts angrily, "I should've been there!" he shouts punching a hole into the wall, "This wouldn't have happened!"

"You said that he was going to be okay Cyborg," Raven reminds him, "Plus it's not your fault Cyborg, Robin should have signalled us first." _I am so glad that the drunk feeling wore off..._

"I-I-I... know..." Cyborg speaks words that were hard to swallow, "But he wouldn't be like this if I was there! It was a good day too..." He turns to Beast Boy, "You said Slade was there?"

"Yeah!" Beast Boy quickly replies, "Cero went after him..."

"Speaking of Cero..." Raven stars, "Wh-?"

Cero shadowmelds limping slightly, "Blah..." he whimpers lowly, "This Slade was a Robot who self-destructed on me."

"A bot?" Cyborg comments, "Robin's fought plenty of Slade's impersonation bots and never lost."

Cero sits licking his injured leg, "This **Slade** kept insisting that he didn't harm Robin. But admits to observing him."

Terra who was quiet since the meeting of Slade opens here mouth, "What if Slade is telling the truth?" Everyone looks at here with brows raised, "You never know?" she adds defensively.

Raven sighs, "I'll find out..."

She steps near Robin and places her hand on his forehead. She closes her eyes focusing her powers to see Robin's thoughts. The only ting she managed to see was the girl and the sight of his destroyed staff.

"I can't really see anything," she informs regretfully, "His memories are clouded."

"He is in shock," Cero comments, "Both physically and mentally; that's why you can't really see his most recent memories."

"What are supposed to do now?" Beast Boy asks looking to everyone, waiting for a reply.

"Slade wasn't responsible for this," Raven reveals, "Robin's memories would be crystal clear on that, due to the fact Robin despises him. And I doubt Slade would be able to make a mess with four-hundred plus pound girders without blowing them up or using heavy machinery; which wasn't there."

"So who or what could have kicked Robin's butt then?" Beast Boy asks, "Robin never ever loses either!"

Cyborg grunted slightly angered, "Only one way to find out..."

"How?"

"We gotta bait a trap..."

"What kind of trap, exactly?" Raven then asks, "It's not like we know what the bait is and it's not a mouse we're catching..."

"It was teenage girl right?" Cyborg leads on, "Well we got two right here..." he ends looking at both Terra and Raven.

"Whoa, whoa..." Terra says uneasily, "You want us too wonder around the streets at night as bait for some crazy person or thing? Are you kidding me?"

"I have to agree with Terra on this one," Raven monotones, "I don't exactly like the idea. And plus anybody with eyes could see that I am Raven, a Teen Titan, so how would this work?"

"I already have a plan for that..." Cyborg said with a smirk, "And don't worry we'll be there in seconds after you push the communicator button."

- Titan Tower, Island -

Next Day...

The evening sky started to come over the city, Cero was outside doing his dogie business when he spots some unknown female walking away from the Tower's back entrance and towards the bridge. Once done Cero barks pursuing the unknown black maned female in a faded grey jean jacket and a matching pair of jeans.

Once close he barks, "Who are you!"

The unknown female stops and turns to the little dog with her blue eyes looking into beady gold eyes, "Cero it's me..." she replies in an unknown voice, soft like a doves cou.

Cero sniffs but the only thing he smelt was the perfume she wore, which tickled his sense of smell, "How do you know of my name? And who are you?"

"It's me Raven..." with a snap of her fingers her disguising emulator, an invention of Cyborgs, is disabled, making her hair go purple and her eyes returning amethyst, "See?" she then monotones as normal.

Cero looked to Raven wearing the grey jean jacket, purple half cropped T-shirt that revealed her belly and sides, the matching slightly snug jeans with small rips and tears as fashion would make them and some purple Vans.

He sighs, "I told you not to go crazy with your attire..." Cero comments, "Why are you in disguise for?"

"So I am not recognize..." she monotones.

"No... you think?" Cero counters, "My question is why are you in disguise for, what purpose does it serve you?"

"Well for one, I am doing this to find out who hurt Robin..." she answers easily.

"And the other reason?"

"Uh... I want to go out there and attempt to be a normal teenage girl...?"

"Okay, I get the first reason, but the second I fail to see the reason on **why. **So why?"

Raven sighs, "Let's just say, I don't have a whole lot of time left..." she says a little darkened thinking of her prophecy, "I have to go and do this will see you later."

"Raven, hold on!" Cero then barks, "You can't go out there alone, it's too dangerous."

With a snap of fingers her disguise returns, "I'll be fine..." she says walking off once more, patting her pocket to feel that she brought her can of pepper spray. _Just in case it gets crazy... can't use my powers or it will blow my disguise, especially if its with the wrong people._

Cero watches as she walks off into the distance walking to the city. He sits down and wonders... _Is Raven perhaps... dying? _He watches as Raven slowly walks off across the bridge, slowly fading from sight, until she disappears within the city. _I have to tell the Master as soon as he comes out of his meditation..._


	13. A Normally Abnormal Day

Here you go peoples... comments/reviews are appreciated and inspired.

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><p><strong>- Chapter 13 -<strong>

**- A Normally Abnormal Day -**

- Jump City -

Even disguised Raven was still the out of the ordinary, she finds herself walking random streets of Jump City, attempting to fit in...

_"Remember... that you gotta act like a normal teenage girl. It's the only thing we got to find out on who is responsible for taking out Robin..."_ Cyborg's words of the plan spoke in her mind, _"Walk around, shop, eat, talk to people, listen to music... you know normal girl stuff."_

She gives a doubtful sigh as she stands for the crosswalk light to turn. _I don't even know what a __**normal**__ girl does..._ She pats her thighs a little awkwardly feeling her pockets for her MP3 player, which was something new to her. She pulls out her MP3 and quickly plugs her ear phones to her ears and presses play. The "Walk" signal turns on and she starts her random walk in the city once more.

_At least I got something that's me..._

She walks pass a music store which was giving a promotion for free music. She looks at the promotions sign, "Free random Artist song download to compatible MP3 Player devices" it read. She stops thinking of the promotion. _I can always delete it if it's something I don't like..._ With a "who cares" shrug she enables her MP3 Player to download the random song of an artist. She looks at the new content in her MP4 player. _"Within Temptation? Never heard of them..."_ With a press of the play button she begins too listen to the songs.

- Jump City, Mall -

Terra walked the malls freely as herself, for not much of the population recognized her as a Titan; she too was bait for an unknown threat...

_Why did Slade even show himself? Why not destroy the Titans now when their lea-?_

"Techs, this is Chameleon, I got visual on-"

"Beast Boy?" Terra asks looking too some short shady looking character behind her that looked like the Neighborhood watch guy on the signs.

The character shudders, "Uh..." the character replies in a somewhat sheepish deep mock voice, "Top of the morning lass!"

"It's 5 PM," she informs with brow raised then swipes off the hat, revealing Beast Boy, "What are you doing?"

He swipes back the hat and smashes it back on his head, "I am supposed to unseen, I am watching from afar just in case you get in trouble..." he whispers.

A small smile came over her face as she crossed her arms, "Well, maybe you shouldn't be close enough for me to her you? And who's Techs?"

"Techs is Cye..." he replies, "I'm the Chameleon and Starfire's Overwatch..."

"When did this become a spy movie? You know what never mind, we have to stick with the plan and you're too close to me."

"Okay... I'll stay back, but I'll be close enough too help you!" he replies running off shifty like into the opposite direction.

He stops about fifty feet away from her, he gives a large wave, she give a small wave back replying she can see him. She turns around and continues the plan along with her thought...

_What does it matter if Robin is up or not? I'd say it would be a lot easier to ambush them now while their looking for whoever took out Robin... but Slade didn't take him out who did?_

- Jump City -

Raven finds herself in front of some tea cafe that she seen one time during one of the teams battles. Out of curiosity and boredom she decides to enter the cafe. The ambiance is minimal and the emotional level from the cafe's patrons was subtle and calm; as they either talk lightly among themselves, read book or view their laptops.

_Why haven't I came to this place before? Beast Boy would be outta here in a heart beat, claiming to be bored to death._

She heads to the register and quickly orders a random herbal tea, uncaring of its flavor for she enjoyed most herbal teas. Once she obtained her tea she quickly finds a seat that is exiled from most of the others.

She looks around the cafe...

_Most of these people were older and professional, they're aren't many teenagers hanging out he-_

Something grabs her attention a presence from a past battle, she looks around but sees nobody out of the ordinary, everyone was normal.

Some teenage guy comes to the same table ans sits across from her. This boy was sharp looking with his black haired greased back, black leather jacket that went over a dark blue shirt that had some Gothic like design on it that was over some blue jeans; which like Raven's were also slightly torn as Fashion would make them. Over all, this boy looked like a 40's Greaser with a slight Gothic influence.

Raven blushed slightly, for this boy was handsome, "Uh... hi?" she sheepishly says. _Is this the guy that defeated Robin? Looks like a scrapper... but is he good enough to take out Ro-_

With a white smile he says, "What are you doing here... Raven?" he speaks smoothly.

Her heart stops. She takes a sip of her, "I think you got me confused with someone else..." she plays off. _This could be bad..._

"Do I now?" he tuts slouches back in his seat amused.

She nods and sips her tea as she pretends not to panic.

_"I see you're also using the Azarath Disguise Spell... along with the Alchemic Scent Masker..." _The boy's voice speaks to her telepathically.

At all costs she had to maintain her powers, for if she used or lost control of them; her disguise will fail, blowing her cover.

She raised a brow, _"Who is this? And how do you know of any Azarath spells and Alchemy?"_

_"For I use them too, for I am Azarath as well.. And who I am may shock you._"

Her mind races on who this person can possibly be. _Serenade's not an Azarath... who could this person be?_ She looks to him, "I give up... who are you?"

He sighs a little hesitant. _"Kyd Wykkyd..."_

Instantly she rises from her seat, "I am leaving."

"Wait hold on!" he speaks which was slightly odd to hear, knowing that he wasn't much of a talker.

She scowls at him, "Why?" she monotones._  
><em>

"I am not here for trouble, I just came here too relax and get away from the craziness from... home."

She raises a brow, "Really now?" she replies sarcastic, "Or you just scouting out the area?"

"Do you see any of the rest of them here causing trouble?"

She looks around, there was no sign of any of the other Hive Five members nor was their any trouble going on.

"Obviously you're here for the same reason, so can't we just talk?"

She stands still uncertain whether to believe him or not. _Maybe I should... too ensure my role as being __**normal**__._

_"It's calm and it's peaceful here, there's no craziness from some loud mouths fighting over a video game's outcome,"_ he speaks tele, _"I am pretty sure you know what I mean."_

"Fine," she says a little weary sitting back down, "Try anything and you'll be sorry."

"So why are you here and disguised for?" he asks starting convo.

"Can you try not talking loud about that?" she says lowly, "And I can ask the same..."

"If I came here as myself the cafe would immediately call you guys saying that I was going to rob the place," he answers, "You on the other hand would be celebrated for being the hero."

"Sounds plausible..."

"I answered, now you."

"Like you said, I would have people bugging me. I just want to attempt to be a normal teenager for once." _Can't really tell him my true reason why, can't really trust him._

He chuckled, "Tell me about it," he says casual, "It ain't easy being one of us."

"Yup."

"Especially when you're evil and sinister looking," he starts, "Looking like you want to kill people." He looks around briefly, "The Arbiter isn't going to try to kill me is he?" he said slightly afraid, "That guy is too scary and mysterious, even for us Azarath's."

She gave a small smirk, "Serenade? No, he doesn't even know I am out here."

"Really now?" he smiles seeing her smirk, "Are you rebellion against the authority now?"

She shakes her head, "I am not going blow up cars or terrorize people if that's what you're asking."

"No, I meant are you going to disobey your authority, this case would be the Arbiter, and go out without his knowledge, party, stay out all night and that sort."

"Se- The Arbiter is not my superior," she replies firm, "I am his superior, he can't tell me what I can and can't do."

"Really now?" he replies slightly surprised. She nods her answer, "Then I guess you wouldn't say no if I invited you to come to a club with me?"

She blushed, "Uh..." she stalls.

With time being a wheel in constant motion that rolls forward for all, but for her it rolled to the day of her prophecy, the day where she shall let her father's reign of chaos start. _"In due time you may get what you desire..."_ Cero's words return into mind; but what if it was too late? All that she would have in the end would wasted time, unfulfilled feelings and regret before she was sacrificed...

"Well?" he asks as he waits for an answer.

She gives a small sigh, "Why not?" _It's not that anyone else is going to know..._

- Jump City, Mall -

Terra walks end to end of the mall for the fifth time, she takes in a deep breath. _This isn't going anywhere... _She comes close to Beast Boy whos still trailed her.

"This doesn't seem to be getting anywhere, you mind telling Cyborg that seeing that I don't have a communicator?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about lass..." Beast Boy plays off walking away. Out of sight he grabs his communicator, "Hey Cyborg," he speakes through it as soon as Cyborg come on its screen.

"Yo?"

"Terra wanted me to tell you that, this doesn't seem to be working."

"Tell to leave the mall and start walking around the city then, okay?"

Beast Boy nods his reply before the communicator powers down. He makes his way to Terra. _Just gotta tell her what Cyborg said..._

- Jump City, Docks Rave -

Every now and again a Rave would be held at the docks, the same exact one that Blackfire had led the team too when she came to earth for the first time. The lights beamed through the smoke, the music thumped and the people danced within the tangled mass of bodies on the dance floor. Both not really the dancing type, continue their conversation as they retreated away from craziness.

"Strange how our teams hate each other, but yet when we are away from them we get along," Kyd Wykkyd comments.

"Other's usually influence you, if you go against then they see you as a traitor," Raven replies thoughtfully, "Especially with Robin, being all hardcore hero and all."

"It ain't like that at the Hive Five Base. Jynx tries so hard to whip the guys up into doing something, but they all just ignore her and play games, except for Mammoth who just eats most of the time."

"Sounds like your base is a man cav-"

The hard bass hip hop music stops to a smooth lull, "Alright everybody, we're gonna give a slow song, all you couples out there grab your other and dance!" the DJ announces.

Most of the teens disperse retreating out of the dance floor, only leaving about 25% of them left on the floor.

Kyd Wykkyd rises from his seat, "Care to dance?" he asks a little sheepish.

Raven blinks and shies away, "Uh..."

"To tell you the truth I have no idea what I am doing," he informs, "But I know that we both should at least have a dance with someone that we can somewhat relate too, let alone not want to kill."

She looks to him as he held his hand out to here. _What the hell right? Live only once, but I don't... because I only get half a life. Why not? _ She takes his hand and rises with him, the two then walk to the floor staying near the dance floor's corner. The two looked to the other couples for reference on what to do or how to even position themselves.

A little concerned Kyd Wykkyd telepathically says, _"Um... I got to touch you... on your sides, is that okay?"_

_"Yeah... it's how the other's are doing ain't they?"_

Gently he put his hands on her hips, as she wraps her arms around his neck; just as the other couples did. Slowly the moved side by side, moving as one...

"This is you're first time?" she speaks into his ear a little suspicious.

"Yeah."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I am being honest," he replies, "You're the first girl I ever slow danced with."

"But you have danced with other girls?"

"If you call headbanging and mosh pitting dancing... then yes."

"I see." They continue their dance but she feels a bit anxiety coming from Kyd Wykkyd, "Is there something wrong?"

"I am just a little worried of the Arbiter popping out."

"Don't worry about that, he won't," she replies barely even remembering anything about Serenade since last couple of hours. "Just focus on this can we?"

- Jump City -

Meanwhile...

Terra walked about the streets with the sun slipping behind the horizon. The street lights begin to flicker on, one by one lighting up the streets. She gives out a tiresome sigh. _Blah... I am tired of walking already... nothing is happening. _A group of people walk pass Terra, most of them being girls. _Wonder where they are off too?_ She decides to follow them at a distance, just curious on where they were going.

The group passes an alley way entrance as they still remained on the sidewalks. She follows for no apparent reason. _Bored of this... I feel like a stalker-_ In an instant she finds herself grabbed and being taken into the ally way. She wiggles in a tight jagged grasp that clammed on her along with a squishy slimy feeling that grated against her arm and skin.

"Let me GO!" she demands with yellow emitting fists and eyes. And just as fast she was snatched up, she found herself picking herself out of the garbage cans that she was tossed into. She jumps up with a yellow glowing hands but blinks seeing nothing was around, except for Beast Boy who was dashing towards her.

Beast Boy comes out of his Raptor form,"TERRA! Are you OKAY?!"

"Uh... I think..." she replies a little dazed before she starts to feel the slime ooze over her arm, "Ewww... what is the stuff?!"

"That was crazy!" Beast Boy shouts frantic like, "You were walking and then all of the sudden you were gone!"

She starts to sling some of the slime onto the floor, "Tell me about it, I don't even know what got me."

"It was HUGE! It was grey, monster!"

"You saw what grabbed me?"

"All I saw was grey!"

"If it snatched me up, but why did it let me go for?"

"Who cares!" Beast Boy blurts thankfully.

Starfire lands nearby, "I have lost the visualization of the creature," she informs regretfully, "It was large, four legged, powerful, muscular... like a steed."

"A steed?" Terra asks, "You mean like a horse?"

Starfire nods, "Yes, for I have seen the wavy mane of the creature before it became one with the thin air."

"Giant kidnapping killer monster horses?!" Beast Boy shrieks, "We better tell Cyborg about this quick!"

"Great..." Terra starts as she slings the last of the slime off of her arm, "That means I got horse slobber on me..."

- Jump City, Docks Rave -

Raven's communicator beeps; for some unknown reason she ignores it.

"Shouldn't you answer it?" Kyd Wykkyd asks.

"Probably Beast Boy complaining that he's bored. It can wait."

"I heard that you two were an item," he starts a little weary, "Is that true?"

"No, that's not... true at all."

The slow song starts to come to its end, the two look to each other. What seemed to be a magical moment between the two, Kyd Wykkyd leans into Raven; however Raven steps away from him, "I-I am sorry... but thi-" she looks away from him, "I don't know."

"Came on to fast, eh?"

"It's seriously not you, I don't know what it is..." she tires to explain something that she didn't even understand, "I have to go, sorry."

Quickly she leaves the rave, with mind barraging with questions. The communicator continues to beep annoyingly. _Stupid thing SHUT UP! _She starts pounding on it to shut it up, but ends up losing her grasp on it. It bounces on the docks planks before plopping into the ocean.

She sighs, "Great... now I am going to have to hear Cyborg."

She starts walking, thinking... the thought of energymelding back to the Tower slips her barraged mind filled with questions and uncertainty.


	14. Lovely Prey

Like I said in the other story upon this chapters header note... "Never wonder the streets at night... without a shotgun."

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><p><strong>- Chapter 14 -<strong>

**- Lovely Prey -**

- Jump City, Downtown -

She walks through the random alley ways, mind buzzing loudly with questions; not even giving half a thought on where she was or the fact she could energymeld back to the tower.

_Why am I out here in the first place? I am out here for the mission? Why did I even say yes to going out with Kyd Wykkyd? Let alone slow dance with him? Why couldn't I have been normal... or at least a normal Azarath? Why did I have to be the Port-_

"When love and death embra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ace..."

She freezes in her tracks hearing the familiar voice and looks to the right, seeing Serenade, with hood over head, laying on a short wall on his side with one hand propping up his head and the other hanging down holding a bottle of tequila that was almost finished. She stares a little uncertain of what he's going to do.

He takes a swig from the bottle, "Oh-oh, when love and death embrace..." he continues his serenade not even caring about her presence as if she wasn't anyone of interest,. "When love and death.. when love and death... when love and death embra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ace..."

She walks off casually, steadily Serenade's voice fades away. She gives out a huge breath or relief. _I thought he knew who I was... thank Azar that the Scent Masker worked! I wouldn't know what to say or think about no-_

"He-heyyyy..." Serenade says slurred from behind her. She jumps like a frighten cat spinning quickly to him, "What's a-" he stops quickly taking the last drink from the bottle then tossing behind him, "Nice human female like you doing out here?"

She steps back, "G-going h-home..."

He looks to his monitor squinting to make out what it read, "At this minute?" he asks spaced out, "Don't you knows that, there are crazy people out here at this time?"

She takes another step away, "I-I can handle myself..." _Damn it! I can't energymeld or I will break my disguise!_

He chuckles slightly sinister, "Really now?" he asks slightly cynical, "Don't you know that predators seek out nice young females like yourself?"

She steps away putting her hand over the pocket with the mace spray, "Uh... I am leav-"

"I should know..." he interrupts. With a quick shake of his head he reveals himself, with his chocolate brown dog ears focused on her, "I am one of them... as you can see" he says looking at her with a drunken hazed smirk. He notices her black hair and blue eyes, "Black hair and blue eyes? Aren't you almost one of a kind?" She steps away largely hand in her pocket, "It's been awhile since I preyed upon human females like yourself," he says closing the distance between them. He grasps her chin softly, "But experience never dies... you'll be female number one-eight-seven..."

With a flash Raven pulls up a can of pepper-spray and blast Serenade's face with it, which stuns Serenade. She then runs down the alley, too scared to think straight.

He shakes his head, he opens his eyes wincing against the stinging seeing that the girl was fleeing "I love it when my prey runs!" Serenade howls excitedly.

She continues to run, weaving through alleys just trying to put distance between her and Serenade. She comes to a corner where she hides behind. Panting she gathers her breath, "I think I lost him..." She peaks out over the corner too see if he was coming, but saw nothing.

She takes in a deep breath of reliif, "Okay I lost him... now I can tele-"

"Who did you lose?" Serenade asks from behind.

She jumps up, with a spin she pulls up the can of pepper spray but this time Serenade smacks it out of her hand, "That won't work again..." he informs staring her down.

She backs up into the wall scared, "Wh-what do you want from m-me?"

"Shh..." he shushes softly putting his index finger on her lip, "You don't have to fear me... I will be gentle with you, I promise."

Raven's hand touches a wooden plank that protrudes out from a garbage can, with a flash she bashes Serenade across the face with the plank breaking it, which gave her enough time to run away.

Again she finds herself running through the alleys, "Yes that's it... run... it excites me..." Serenade's voice spoke darkly as it seemed to come from all directions. "But don't run too much, you'll tire yourself out... before the real fun even begins."

She comes to the alley's exit, seeing the park in front of her. _The police station is across the park, if I can just get there I can energymeld out of there and back to the tower. Even if Serenade does chase me the police will buy me just enough time._ With plan set she starts her run across the park...

"You're such a nice female," Serenade speaks out like an obsessed stalker, "You look so nice, and cuddly, and soft and lovely... just what we dogs love!"

She quickly hides behind a tree for a chance to recover and a chance to breathe. _I'd never thought hearing him say that about me would be so scary..._ A whistling sound comes to ear and she ducks out of the way hitting the floor with a small thud. She looks to the tree as a chain strikes it and coils around it tightly.

"I almost had you there... number one-eight-seven..."

She jumps up from the ground and runs again, nearly out of breath and out of energy she came just across the street from the police station. _I am almost there just a little further got to get the attention of the police. _"Officer! Hel-!" Something grabs her and muffles her mouth yanking her behind the bushes.

"You almost got away there..." Serenade comments into her ear, "But I win..." She struggles to break free but his grasp is too tight, "Well go somewhere more less populated and more concealing."

He wraps his cloak around her, darkness came all around her...

- Titan Tower, Medical Bay -

Cero watched over Robin as the rest of the team scrambled the city in search of Raven, especially after finding her communicator was found in the bottom of the ocean by Beast Boy.

Cero sits and gives an ironic sigh, "It wasn't supposed to come to this. I know the Master didn't want this to end like this... so I have too do this, I have no choice; though it may goes against the Master." He jumps up onto the gurney that Robin laid upon, "Erahs eht'naip..." he chants lightly "Ekat'ym th'leah, rof rouy niap!" he barks out finishing the ominous sounding chant.

Swirls of white energy expel from Cero and strike Robin as Robin expelled red swirls of energy that struck Cero. Cero winces and whimpers lightly, shaking as he braced the pain, the damage from Robin, in exchange for his own health. The somewhat sinister exchange was done, Cero falls forward catching himself with one paw, taking in deep breaths.

Seconds pass until Cero inhales deeply and exhales, just as his Mater does to recover. He glances at Robin, who was in better health but still had not awoken. Cero closes his eyes focusing his mind, _"Robin... listen well... there is trouble... you are needed..."_

Robin stirred a bit, "Wh-who's there?" he mumbles in his sleep.

- Jump City, Hill Side -

As quickly as the darkness over came her, it disappeared revealing that she was in some woodland area. He pushes her to the ground and stands as he watches down upon her. Quickly she shuffles away from him stricken with fear.

"Come on don't be afraid of me..." he says nicely as he takes a step towards her, "I am a nice doggy once you get to know me." She manages to get to her feet but Serenade grabs her neck from behind and rams her into on of the large trees. "I am attracted to you... a lot..." he says into her ear as he continues to press her into the tree.

Her hands wrap around his, "Let go of me!" she grunts being pressed into the tree.

He sniffs loudly, "You smell nice and soooo... irresistible!" he shouts flipping her around and holds her against her neck pinning her against the tree. He checks her out, "Yes... you're perfect for puppies..."

Her eyes widen, "Y-you wouldn't..." she says distantly.

"We'll have a lot of puppies, matter in fact let us start now..." he says grasping her sides.

Frozen in sheer fear she stares into his steel fading lilac eyes, that seemed to have changed to a more wilder and more feral side. She flinches against his touching closing her eyes. _Not like this... not like this... not like this..._

Serenade's grasp was whipped off of her, she opens her eyes seeing Robin replaced Serenade's place. Robin with his staff strikes the dazed Serenade sending him tripping over a tree stump and rolling down hill. Robin quickly turns to her, "Raven, are you okay?"

She blinked, "How do you know who I am?"

"I don't know someone told me that you were in tro-"

The ground quakes, the too stumble slightly...

There was large feral growl, "I won't show mercy on you now, humans!"

Robin spins, "Serenade what the hell is going on he-!" Robin finds himself pushing back a behemoth Husky like canines head back with its teeth chomped over his staff.

Raven steps back tripping over the roots of the tree. She watched as Robin with all his strength push against the massive dog, but the eyes of the dog left her mind blank, for they were the same eyes...

"Serenade..." she whispers lightly to herself.

The polished white daggers for teeth clam down on Robin's staff and just like before the staff severed through cleanly. Robin backs away surprised by the sight of his broken staff, but quickly shakes it off by throwing the pieces in his hand at Serenade's face. Serenade winces before spitting out the staff piece in his mouth. He lifts his paw and swats down upon Robin, but Robin no longer in shock awe as before nimbly back flips out of the area. At the peak height of the jump he lets loose a flurry of smoke bombs, before landing by Raven.

"Call the others, we need them!" he urges as he holds out his communicator to Raven. Raven just stared at him blankly, no emotion, no thought or wonder in her eyes as if she was dead. "Ra-" Robin is clobbered by the stampeding Serenade as he rammed Robin with a head charge.

Like a fly on windshield Robin was unable to move as Serenade continued his full body charge. Serenade tackles one of the pine trees that towered high. The tree crackles loudly a few times before toppling down, smiting the ground and belching up a cloud of dust.

The dust settled and Robin was crawling away clutching his chest over a wooden branch that stabbed him. His blood oozed through his hand dripping to the floor leaving a small trail of blood. Serenade stepped on his cape, quickly Robin flips over with Bird-a-Rang in hand stabbing Serenade's paw with its blades. Serenade growled before kicking Robin into the tree that the stricken silent Raven was near. He hits the floor with a thump, a second later surprisingly he manages to pull himself from the ground with his hands.

"I told you that I would not show mercy on you now human," Serenade growls eyeing Robin from the corner of his eye. Robin looks up to see Serenade's raised front to paws ready to trample upon him, "The female is MINE!"

Raven shakes the shock off, "NO!" Raven shouts with immense black stream of energy erputing from her hands. Her attack strikes Serenade, sweeping him off his feet and rolling to the ground taking a few trees before smacking a sturdy giant tree trunk.

Serenade rolls over to his belly and gets back to his feet, he looks at the girl, his prey. Cyborg's cloaking device begins to short out and spark with the energy spike that Raven unleashed on Serenade. Like a dying street light the disguise begins to flicker the unknown girl and then Raven a few times before the cloaking device dies revealing Raven.

Serenade steps back stunted, "Raven?" She steps forward with her hands still glowing, still aimed at him, "No..."

There was a stare off between the two that, silence just fills the air, not a cricket chirped nor did an owl hoot. Raven opens her mouth to speak he steps back quickly before turning away and runs.

She blinks confusedly, "Wai-" He was gone, out of sight.

- Titan Tower, Medical Bay-

Robin was sitting on the edge of the gurney as Cyborg was stitching his wounds up, wincing slightly with each stitch that entered his skin as he explained to the rest of the team; except for Raven who was not present.

"So you what now?" Beast Boy asks a little hesitantly, knowing the answer from Robin.

"We have to stop him, just like we do with any other villain and criminal."

"Are you crazy?" Terra speaks quickly, "This is Serenade we're talking about, not some average low life thug looking for a quick buck or some oddball who's bored, like Mumbo or Dr Light or a social reject on revenge raid like that Control Freak guy."

"It doesn't matter we go-" he winced as Cyborg poked him intentionally.

"Terra's gotta point Robin," Cyborg comments, "Serenade is not like the others. I mean the guy only has swords, slays demons, has technology that I never seen, especially that camouflage thing he does and on top of that he turns into a giant dog..."

"Yeah!" Beast Boy bumps in, "One that almost made you pancakes!"

Robin glares at Beast Boy, "I wasn't prepared to fight a giant husky..." he growls his counter.

"He shot me with a shotgun in that Master of Games Arena thing," Terra adds, "I don't think he will hesitate to shoot us in real life."

"You all forget one thing of the Master..." Cero speaks out.

They all look to Cero who calmly stepped out of the shadows in the corner. Terra and Beast Boy quickly got into a battle stance, Robin did the same but as he did each stitch Cyborg had made snapped, reopening the wound.

"Great... you know how long it took to do those?" Cyborg whines before pulling up his sonic blaster at Cero.

"Cero what are you doing here?" Robin growls spiteful.

"Erahs eht'naip..." he chants lightly before barking out, "Ekat'ym th'leah, rof rouy niap!"

Just as before, white energy emit and swirls around from Cero as the red energy emits and swirls around Robin.

Cyborg steps away from Robin with a wide eye, "What the heck is going on?"

The white energy shoots at Robin. Robin braces himself with cape covering him, he flinches just before the energy strikes him. A second passes and oddly it didn't hurt, instead it made him feel better and better gradually. The red energy shoots to Cero, striking him violently, surging and crackling around him as he sat still. Seconds later the exchange stops and Robin and the others find that Robin was healed.

"Okay what the heck was that all about?" Cyborg comments a spooked.

Cero legs wobble and fold under him, he hits the ground with a whimper, "I... I have given you all that I can..."

"Cero!" Starfire squeals and start to go for him, but Robin puts his arm in front of her.

"I cannot do so any further..." he says fatigued and worn, "Do not engage battle with the Master."

"We have to stop him, Cero!" Robin roars, "We can't let hi-"

"No." Cero interrupts, "Raven may be the only one that can stop him, for he is of importance of him..."

"We will help friend Raven with the task of defeating Se-"

Cero shakes his head, "No... you're not listening to me!" He growls. "The Master has no true empathetic bond towards any of you. He al-almost killed Robin without a second thought in his mind. What makes you think he won't do the same to any of you?"

"Why only Raven?" Robin asks suspiciously.

"I don't know!" Cero barks back wearily, "I-I must go..."

Cero forces himself up to his feet and limps back to the shadowed corner.

"Cero..." Robin starts, "Why heal me in the first place?" Cero doesn't reply as he continues to the corner, "Cero! Answer me!"

Cero enters the shadows, quickly Cyborg shines his light onto the area, but he was gone...

Robin grunts annoyingly, "..."

"So uh... we're just going to let Raven handle it right?" Beast Boy asks a little hopeful, "Cero only said that **Raven** was the only one to st-"

"No," Robin interrupts as he walks out of the med bay, "It sounds like a trap set up for Raven."

Beast Boy shoots up too Robin, "Bu-but Cero sai-"

"I don't care what Cero said, we're a team..." Robin says firmly exiting through the door.

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><p>The End... is near...<p> 


	15. The Feral Within

Coming close to the end... all and any comments you have should be considered to be spoken now, you still have time though. Anyway here you go people, probably the longest chapter in the story. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>- Chapter 15 -<strong>

**- The Feral Within -**

- Titan Tower -

Midnight...

There was a soft knock on the door that sounded hesitant and subtle.

"Uh... Raven?" Starfire asks behind the door, "Myself and the others wish to know if you are well..." There was no reply. Starfire grasps the door handle, "Raven?"

Robin lays his hand on Starfire's, "I think we should let her be for awhile," he suggests.

Starfire looks at Robin worried, "But we are her friends... we should attempt to talk to her."

"Maybe in the morning," he replies, "Right now she probably is meditating and we shouldn't bug her if she is."

Starfire looks to Raven's door before giving a small sigh, "Perhaps you are correct."

But beyond the door Raven was not meditating as Robin assumed. She quickly switches her attention between an old book that sat open upon a podium and then back to her hands; which held a small triangular glass vial. Carefully she adds the orange ember glowing salts with a ceramic spoon. After the vial was about half full she then places a ceramic place holder on top of the Ember Salts. She then topped off the rest of the vial with an Azarath spice, Otika before capping off the vial with a cork.

_If the Scent Masker worked on Serenade and Cero than this should work too._

- Jump City Mall -

4 AM...

Serenade stands in the dark within the liquor department of the Super Store of the mall. Cero sits upon one of the display shelving looking down upon his Master; listening too his Master's random drunken rambling...

"... All this was..." Serenade stops taking a quick swig from the bottle, "... to cease..."

"Master I don't think it is wise to drink so much..." Cero suggests concerned, "You tend to get a little on the... extreme side..."

Serenade chuckles as he slowly looks to Cero, "Extreme? Really now?" Cero nods with his ears flopping slightly, "Blah... what would you know of all the insanity of our parting, right when I went to Azarath?"

Cero's Ears perk up detecting something, before he could forewarn his Master, she steps into the small beam of moonlight that shined through from the sun roof's windows.

"Serenade..." Raven monotones her usual self. _I can't show that I am afraid dogs can sense it..._

Serenade doesn't turn to her; he just stands there with right hand hanging with a bottle of Brandy and left hand under his cloak. She watches carefully, eyes wide and anticipating, locked on Serenade. His left arm shuffles around under his cloak, her hand shoots over to her left hip grasping one of the glass vials; but she stops seeing Serenade's arm coming to his side.

"What..." Serenade starts in colder voice, similar to his normal tone, but with a slight tint of rasp and numbness, "Do you think I was going to harm you?"

Her hand still hovers over the glass vial, "I-I don't know..." His ears shift and flicker a bit, but he doesn't respond. "You were stalking girls, you attacked Robin, you chased me calling me your _prey_ and you," she stops a little shaken up. She closes her eyes with her head tilting to the ground, "... You almost raped me."

Serenade's ear twitch up, "The deja vu of it all..."

Cero tilts his head as Raven does the same, Raven opens her mouth before Cero could. "What are you talking about?"

He gives a numb chuckle, "Isn't it ironic don't you think?"

She scowls slightly, "I am not here to hear you sing, I want answers, NOW."

"... Better things come to those who wait..."

"No," she rejects quickly, "You better start barking Serenade."

"The deja vu of it all..."

"OF WHAT?" she stresses a little suspenseful.

"Do you really believe that we are bound by fate?" She blinks as she tilts her head of the question he asked, "That fate, destiny, is what binds us to the path we walk among in our lives; is there a such thing of free will? A so called **choice** to choose which of the paths of the crossroads you wish to follow? Or is that fate predetermines weather we suffer or not?"

She grimaced with eyes shifting to the ground, "I-I-I don't know..."

"The eternal struggle continues..."

Her grimaces is wiped away, "Huh?"

"I was never this... she gave me all of this..." he starts blankly, "I don't know why..."

"Who gave you what?"

He snarls lobbing the bottle across the store, "... She was supposed to be my immortal, not the other way around!"

"My Immor- I mean, your Immortal?"

He breathes hard like a raging bull about to charge, "... There's just too much that time cannot erase..."

Silence goes by, Raven just stood there watching him, no knowing what Serenade was speaking of; which Cero did not either. Serenade takes a huge breath in and then exhales it all out calming himself down.

"Let me go..." Serenade speaks all of the sudden, "Will you?"

Raven confused, mixed emotions, scared and uncertain, "Uh... sure?"

Cero's ears perked up, "NO!" he barks loudly, "Do-!"

"Silence Cero," Serenade commands, "Let me go... Yes or no?"

She looks to Cero who was shaking his head **NO**. _He only just wants to be left alone..._

She sighs, "Only if you answer a couple of my questions."

"Ask..."

"Why are you being," she pauses thinking,"... different?"

His ears fold back, "Because my empathetic side died when she died... almost an aeon ago," he said emotionless, "Hate, vengeance, insanity... the typical things that one is pushed into with the loss of their loved one, however I never foresaw that I would be faced with a blinding animal instinct, one far more dangerous and unimaginable, even by immortals."

"So this **side** of you, does it have a name or is it just called insanity?"

"Insanity?" he muses slightly, "It is not insanity... Arella..."

Raven blink, "Arella? Uh... I am not my moth-"

"it is the Feral side of me, the primal instinct to kill, breed and survive along with vengeance, hatred and insanitiy..." A shroud of mist sweeps around Serenade and blankets the surrounding area.

Raven's hand instantly grasps the vial, "I am not Arella!" She spins around continuously waiting for Serenade to pop out, " And why are you bringing my mother into this?"

"It is the Feral within..." Serenade speaks what seemed from all around within the mist that blankets the area, "The deja vu returns..."

The shroud dissipates showing the behemoth of the brown husky like dog, with a long silver main that pinstriped from the behind the neck from ears all the down to shoulder blades. Its saucer plate steel fading lilac eyes stared upon her. Her eyes widen with her pupils shaking slightly, for some reason she felt her soul being shredded slowly; by the eyes of Serenade.

He walks over, each paw shaking the bottles on the shelves slightly. "Do you not see... the feral side, Arella?"

Raven takes another step back, looking up to the eyes of Serenade that were at a height that nearly doubled the height of the shelves. _Oh... Azar... was he this big? I could see why Robin wasn't able to take Serenade on alo-_

"Well?" Serenade huffs staring her down.

"I-I-I am not Arella..." she said intimidated, "I am R-raven."

"ENOUGH!" Serenade barks out blinding rage roar.

Raven falls back to the floor looking up to Serenade, paralyzed by the shock and awe.

"LET THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE CONTINUE!" he howls throwing his head upward like a howling wolf. He glances back to Raven, "Why? Why does fate make us suffer, Arella?"

"I am not-" she rolls to the side with Serenade's massive paw hammering down next to her. Instinctively one of the shelves full of liquor clobbers Serenade, barely able phasing him as the glass bottles shatter and splash of liquor along with the metal shelving breaking apart all over him like the seas waves crashing into the rocky shore. Her eyes widen, "..."

He snorts while he leers at her with steel fading lilac eyes, numbed but far more insane. He sniffs, "Your scent is of spices and herbs..." he comments sniffing again. He licks his lips, "You smell like a fancy Azarath rotisserie chicken, do you taste just as good?"

His mouth lounges snapping at her, she flinches. The sounds of crunching metal came to her ear, but she felt nothing harming her nor touched her...

She opens her eyes to see Serenade chomping on metal shopping cart, which seemed to have got stuck in his mouth. "Raven!" Cero barks besides scaring her. Her hand grabs the glass vial on her belt and tosses it towards Serenade. Cero continues, "You must ru-!" The glass vial of Raven's shatters on the floor, Raven takes in a deep breath of air before retreating under her cloak. A strong gale of wind blooms out from shattered vial blowing Cero away down the aisle.

Serenade paws off the jammed shopping cart from his mouth, he opens his mouth to speak but stops seeing Raven put a medical mask over her face. One sniff of the nasal crippling scent of smoldering Otika Spice sends his body convulsing into a sneezing frenzy.

Raven stands unaffected of the crippling scent, she watches as Serenade is unable to move as he continues his sneezing. _It worked... now is my chance to try to contain him..._ She throws her arms out from under the cloak, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Her hands flare up in her black energy, the shelving of the aisles engulfs in black energy. One by one the shelving piles around Serenade, encasing him within a shell made of the twisted metal shelves.

She brings her hands down, "That should hold him for awh-" small sneezes come from behind her. She spins with black energy emitting hand aimed at Cero.

"Are you-" he sneezes, "INSANE?" he barks before sneezing once more. A small energy talon shoots from Raven's hands and clutches on Cero... but her energy went straight through him as if he was a ghost. Cero sneezes once more, before he was able to catch his breath. He pants slightly, "Wha-what are you doing?" he barks out, "... and I am not going to harm you!"

She scowled down upon him, "Why should I trust you?"

"Be-because that shell off aisles wont hold the Master! And wouldn't I have already attacked you already?!"

The twisted metal of a shell rumbles and shakes, creaking and screeching loudly. Raven turns seeing the metal start to bend and warp. A boom blasts out with a wave of Serenade's black purplish tinted energy that swept the area. Raven uses her cloak for cover just before the energy strikes her, she braces herself but oddly all the energy did was nudge her. She throws open her cloak to see Serenade standing among the wreckage of the makeshift metal shell.

"You cannot contain me!" he roars spitefully. He sets out his right frontal leg, "Haven't you seen what I did to your so called Demon Shackle?"

A large black shackle cupped around just above his paw, there was a few chain links that dangled with the shackle; but what made it Azarath were the orange glowing symbols that stamped in the shackle and chain links.

"Your mother's magic could not restrain me Arella..."

Raven throws her hand at Serenade, "I am not ARELLA!" she shouts, but nothing happens. She blinks stunned. _Uh... why didn't I blast him?_

Serenade lounges, snapping at her. She moves her body out of the way of the white daggers that were Serenade's teeth. His eye came close too her, close enough that she could see her own reflection. He pulls back and snaps at her again. She avoids his teeth but gets pushed down onto the floor. She quickly begins to pick herself up but is yanked back by her cloak like a dog on a chain.

"No," Serenade rejects as he had one paw pressing onto her cloak, "No more running."

She grabs another vial and smashes it to the ground, just as before a gale of wind blooms out and seconds after Serenade once again goes into convulsing sneezing attack.

"...N-... NO!" Serenade whimpers loudly.

She gets up to her feet once more with her dark energies flaring up. She throws up one hand with a energy bolt belching from it. The bolt strikes the crippled Serenade, which barely phased him by making him step back. She throws up other hand unleashing another energy bolt...

"I am NOT Arella!" she shouts over Serenade's sneezing while she alternates her hands with each bolt she shot at Serenade. Slowly she pushed Serenade down the aisle, "I am RAVEN! **Arella** is my mother!"

Serenade's sneezing stopped, he snarled leering at her angrily.

She grabs another glass vial from her belt, "I still got six more," she monotones with a small smirk. _Thank Azar that I made these..._

Serenade stamps the ground before charges straight for her. She tosses the glass vial straight to the floor in front of her, to stop his charge; but he kept coming. She quickly threw up a wall of a barrier in front of her. Serenade leaps at her with right paw shinning his energy as he brings it back in mid air. His paw strikes the barrier which shatters it like on impact. His paw bashes Raven slightly making her stagger back a few steps. She throws up her hand at him, but again nothing happened.

_Why aren't my powers wor-?_

Serenade's paw rakes her body down diagonally one of his nails catches the band of Raven's medical mask and tears it off her face. Raven takes in a breath of the air, her throat clenches instantly. She begins coughing somewhat unable to breath fully, which was nothing compared to what happened to Serenade; who once again goes into a sneezing frenzy. Raven manages to pick up her mask and holds it over her mouth. She continued to cough slightly but was able to breathe a lot easier.

She starts to retreat away from Serenade, backing away from him. _This isn't working... I got to get help! _ About a few yards away from Serenade she turns around and runs down the aisle. She turns the aisle corner then lays against on of the freezer doors of the frozen foods aisle. She grasps her communicator and brings up to 's sneezing stops, her breathing goes silent.

_Can't make noise... or not yet... _She tosses the mask to the floor and grabs another glass vial on her belt. She waits for Serenade too come closer, but oddly there wasn't a single sound. Hesitantly she pokes her head out from the corner too see if Serenade was near. There was no sight of him or sound. She goes back to resting on the freezer door and takes in a deep breath of relief. _Maybe he lef-_

The next freezer down from her explodes into the aisle smacking into the freezer wall across from it, sending frozen burritos and glass all over the place. Raven jumps spinning with vial in hand but gets the wind kicked out of her by Serenade's paw. She hits the floor rolling a few times until stopping face down. Slowly gets to her hands and knees trying to regain breath breath.

"Now you know how I feel..." Serenade comments with head above her. With his snout he flips her over. He quickly spots the remaining glass vials on her belt, with large fangs he nips through the belt.

A row of four freezers comes and mows Serenade down, pushing him into the next aisle. Raven gets up coughing a bit, barely regaining her breath, with one arm cradling her stomach. Serenade jumps onto the wreckage of the freezers he knocked through, his mouth cocks open and begins to slowly strobe flash his energy. A large bolt of energy erupts from Serenade's mouth, slowly arcing down as it came at her.

She lobs the vial in her hand at Serenade and quickly throws up a barrier with both hands powering it. The vial shatters at his feet and again a gale of wind blooms out sending glass and frozen burritos all over the area. Serenade's bolt crashes through her barrier shattering it and strikes just in front of Raven. A cone of energy blasts forward Raven sending flying up slightly. She comes back down landing into a stand full of french bread rolls and other types of breads.

She pulls herself up to sitting position and then shakes her head. _At least my fall was cushioned... for once. _ She quickly looks to Serenade who stood where she stood before she got blasted, he raises his paw. She spots her belt under his hovering paw. Quickly she pats her sides feeling that her belt was gone. His paw smites down on the belt, "This will be the last time!" he roars before going into a sneezing frenzy once again.

Raven scrambles for her communicator within the pile of bread she landed. She tosses aside ciabattas, croissants, french breads, dinner rolls, bread sticks... _How many types of breads are there? _Serenade's sneezing starts to weaken, her heart races as she starts sweeping the bread to the floor by arms fulls; until finally she heard it hit the floor. Quickly she tosses the bread in arms to the side and dives for the communicator.

She flips open the communicator when she feels a hard puff of warm air brush against her. She looks up to see glaring down at her, he bears his teeth at her. Raven throws up her hand quickly, but nothing happens. Serenade snaps at her, but the stand stops him from getting to her by mere inches. Her hand quickly feels around the floor, she grabs a french bread and shoves it up one of Serenade's nostrils.

Serenade steps back pawing at his nose and shaking his head. She gets up and scurries to the wholesale food section. She hides behind a large bin of rice and flips open the communicator. About to press the distress button on the communicator black energy envelops it quickly and then it dissembles within her hand.

"No!" Cero barks.

She glares at Cero, "Why did you do that?! I thought you are my side?"

"You are the only one that can stop the Master!"

"Haven't you seen what has been happening?" she counters stressful like, "I haven't even been able to hurt him!"

"You are the only one that means anything to the Master, you have the last shred of empathy of whatever lefts within the Master."

"Oh..." she monotones, "I was taking it wrong by him blasting and snapping at me," she sasses, "So I am guessing by hurting me he loves me?"

"That's not what I mea-"

"FOUND YOU!" Serenade barks with paw smashing into the bin of rice.

Raven rolls out of the way; she quickly looks around and spots a large plastic bin of pinto beans. The bin envelops in black energy before its sent flying at Serenade. The bin of beans strikes Serenade, but all the attack managed to do was make a mess.

"Your attacks are ineffective," Serenade speaks before shaking his body. After shaking the remaining beans in his fur he leers at Raven, "You are not worthy of being Azarath's so called **Seeress**..."

She frowns and looks away, "You're right..."

"Then why are you trying to slay me?" Serenade asks with a tilt to his head, "In this so called final trial set forth by your hierarchs?"

"I am not!" she rejects, "I am not trying to kill you! I am not Arella, I am nothing like my mother! I am RAVEN!" Serenade stares, "I am Raven, remember? I am tired of fighting you Serenade, I am tired of all the craziness..." She steps towards Serenade, "I am tired of my destiny lingering over me each counting second." She came in arms length of Serenade's chest, she looks up to him, "I-I think I l-loved you..." She reaches out to touch him, steadily her hand inches to him, "I know that if you really cared for that you wouldn't hurt-"

She gasps with eyes wide and stricken as she finds herself within Serenade's jaws. His jaws close tightly across her body, each dagger of a tooth slowly stabs into her body. He shakes his head furiously as if Raven was a rag doll dog toy. After a minute of shaking he tosses her into display of tomatoes. An avalanche of tomatoes comes down on Raven, burying her under a pile of tomatoes. There was no movement, no noise. Serenade comes to the pile and sniffs it. He continues to do so before snorting and turning away.

He walks forward, "It's a shame Seeress..." he starts in sadden ironic tone, "You were and attractive female, but you let the words of others bound your destiny... instead of letting your own free will forge your own destiny."

Cero sniffs the tomatoes before looking to his Master...

"Master?" he speaks out a little appalled, "What have you done?"

"You saw what I have done Cero," Serenade replies smoothly, "You witness it all."

Cero sits closing his eyes disappointed knowing what he has to do, knowing what he has to reveal. "Yes... you killed Raven..."

Serenade stops in mid step, he turns his head, "Raven?"

"You know?" Cero starts sarcastically, "The one with purple eyes and the purple mane, the one that looked up to you thinking that you were a hero, the one that trusted you with her own very life, the one that... loved you."

"Raven?" Serenade speaks with memory defogging.

Cero nods lightly, "The one that may have been your ticket out of this... insanity of yours. Your feral side."

"Ra-Raven?"

The memories start to shine through the blinding hazy fog within his mind... The Master of Games telepathic conversation came to mind...

_"Do you uh..." she swallowed sorely, "Find me... attractive?"_

_"Raven, you've grown into a beautiful young girl, hell almost a young women. Someone will adore and love one day," he answers casually, "I would not worry about finding someone to love you."_

_"Would you?" She asked innocently._

Serenade whimpers with his mind starting to sear in pain... The image of Raven wearing Starfire's outfit came into mind...

_"You're wearing a bikini?" Serenade guesses._

_"No." she monotones quickly._

_"Then?"_

_Raven sighs and releases her grasp of her cloak that sways open._

_Serenade blinks twice, "Wow... really now? ... Ah, hell… See what you're doing? You're startling people Starf- I mean __**Raven**__…"_

His mind spikes in pain on Raven's name, he paws his head as the memories continue flashing. "Who is this female that invades my memories?!" Serenade roars out as the memory continues...

_"Hell you're body goes good with that outfit just as it does on Starfire," he adds then finishes with a a whistle._

_She cracks a smile trying not to let her blush overcome her, "Uh... thanks?"_

The smiling Raven begins to burn into his mind like a glowing orange branding rod, stamping her face within his mind. He slams his head against the aisle the walls vigorously but Raven's face still remains, etched in his mind.

"NO!" he barks out in denial, "I don't know a R-r-rav-" he stops and mid sentence and crashes through the wall of the grocery store to the outside.

Cero watches as he his Master runs wildly through the city before disappearing around the corner. He looks to the pile of tomatoes that still remained the same. "I shouldn't do this... but its for the best..." he whispers to himself.

He closes his eyes, "Yb'eth drow fo'lepsog..." he chants slowly before opening his eyes and looking to the ceiling, "It'narg uoy efil!"

_I will make the sacrifice, once more..._

* * *

><p>The end is <strong>near<strong>...


	16. What Have You Done?

This Chapter was inspired by the song, "**What Have You Done**" By **Within Temptation**.

* * *

><p>-<strong> Chapter 16 -<strong>

**- What Have You Done? -**

- ? -

_Raven opens her eyes, blinding white strikes her pupils making her shut them quickly. She gets to her hands and knees, then sits up using one of her hands to rub her eyes. _

_**What happened?**__ She opens her eyes once more and the whiteness shines again, she squints and shields her eyes trying to make out where she was, but all she saw was white. __**How did I get here?**__ Her eyes finally become focused making her able to see clearly; she spins around once slowly seeing nothing but white everywhere and nothing more. _

_"Uh... where is here?" she mummers to herself._

_"So the prophecy has been halted?"_

_Raven stops her spinning as she hears the familiar voice, "Arella?"_

_"I did not foresee it to be altered in this manner."_

_Raven spins around quickly but all she saw was the infinite white space. She continues her search for her mother, "Where are you?"_

_The fluttering wings of doves flap beside here, "I've always been right beside you, Raven."_

_Raven jumps a little spooked as she turns to Arella who wore an all white cloak with doves perched on her shoulders cooing softly. Raven steps back in slight disbelief, "M-Mother?" Arella stares down upon Raven not saying a word, "Wh-where am I?"_

_Arella sighs looking to one of her doves; she cups one in her hands and holds it. She then gently pets the dove's head gently, "You are no longer among the realm of flesh, blood and bone... no longer in a material realm." She looks to Raven who did not really grasp what she was speaking of. She grimaced with a sigh, "You are dead, Raven..."_

_Raven stumbles back, "Dead?!_

_"I am sorry Raven, but it is the truth..."_

_Raven looks away with a depressed sigh, "I'm dead... so no prophecy... no death... no chaos... no pain..." She turns away with tears welling in her eyes, "And my friends will be okay... and the rest of earth." The thought of Serenade came to mind, "Serenade..." she says distantly." She looks to her mother, "Serenade killed me... Why?"_

_"Serenade saw you as me in a battle that determined my inauguration as Seeress twenty years ago."_

_"So you defeated him and he kills me over it, just to settle an old score?"_

_Arella shakes her head, "No... I didn't claim victory, I coul-" she stops in mid sentence looking up to the infinite white space, "It seems that death is not your destiny today..."_

_"What?" Raven says confused, "But I thought you said I was de-"_

_"It seems an unknown force is coming for you..."_

_"What for-"_

_"You must slay the Feral Beast Serenade, Raven... or all is lost."_

_"Why me...?"_

- Jump City Mall -

_"... It is your Birthright."_

Raven takes in a huge gasp of life, filling her lungs with air and immediately claws her way out from under the mountain of tomatoes. She pulls her head out from pile and lays within them panting hard. She looks around noticing she was in the malls grocery store...

_"Was it a dream? Did I really... die?"_

"It is done..." Cero speaks out of the blue.

Raven looks to Cero who stood in front of her, "Wh-what happened?"

"Do not let my sacrifice go in vain Raven..."

"Sacrifice? What are you ta-"

"Only you can stop the Master..." Cero collapses to the ground twitching a few times before stops moving, stops breathing completely.

"Cero?" Raven says a little shocked, but there was no response, "Cero!" She scrambles toward Cero but just before she was able to touch him his body swirls in his black energy. The black energy of Cero's pillars upward turning into a black fiery vortex that stings Raven's hand. She pulls her hand out and shuffles back, "Cero!"

Black energy crackles from the pillar striking the area violently. A few bolts of this energy came directly for Raven but at the last second they seemed to have curved uncannily missing her completely. The pillar of energy soon starts to die off slowly like a subsiding tornado. The energy spirals a few spurts of the energy before it dissipates away completely.

She stands up and looks around at the destruction of the grocery store, she spots a small vial poking out of a pile of rice. She reaches out for it, it quickly envelops in her energy and comes levitating quickly to the palm of her hand. She looks to the bottle which had a huge crack just above the ceramic separator.

"Looks like I have one left... barely."

_"It seems an unknown force is coming for you..."_ Arella's words come to mind. Then came Cero's, _"Do not let my sacrifice go in vain Raven..."_

"Was Cero the un-" she shakes her head pushing the thought out of her mind. She puts the vial in her cloaks inner breast pocket. _I don't have time to think about that now, the others are probably fighting Serenade..._

- Jump City, Local Beach -

It didn't take long for the team to respond to a monstrosity of a dog terrorizing one of the local beaches. Beast Boy not knowing it was Serenade jumps in front of the massive dog morphing into a Timber Wolf and talks in dog...

_"Why are you terrorizing the city?" _Beast Boy barks ending with a small growl. _Oh... what was I thinking it's huge!_

"Silence green fool!" Serenade's feral raspy voice booms before swatting Beast Boy to the side, who crashes into one of the smoothie drink bars that spot the beach.

"Did that canine talk?" Starfire comments a little bedazzled not just by it speaking but its sheer size and its wavy horse like mane blowing in the sea breeze.

Terra opens her mouth, "That sorta sounded like Ser-"

"Serenade..." Robin speaks of the tone as if it were Slade and like Slade Robin immediately charges at Serenade solo. He shoves two bird-a-rangs together, the bird-a-rangs link together and quickly deploys into a long sword.

Serenade bears his teeth and begins to lean low, "Come at me human..." he then growls leering at Robin.

Robin shouts out a war cry as he swings sword...

"STOP!" Raven's shouts at the top of her lounges for several seconds. A wave of transparent energy ripples out from Raven. She runs out of breath, she then opens her eyes to see everyone and everything had stopped, frozen in time. She blinks a little surprise, "Did I do that?"

"I know it wasn't me nor Cero..." Serenade speaks scaring her, "... and Cero seems to be no more..."

She shook off the scared feeling as much as possible, "I-I-I-I came too..."

Serenade sits, "I know why you are here Raven..."

The way he said her name sent a numbing icy chill through her body, that scared her. She looks around seeing Robin with his sword in hand. She rips the sword out of his hand and wields it with the blade pointed at Serenade.

Serenade tilts his head then chuckles, "You are here to kill me." He leers at her, "Say it... say what you're here to do."

She takes in a deep breath, "I-I-I am here to k-kill you..."

Serenade steps to her, "Do you think you can succeed where your mother failed?"

She takes a small step back, "St-stay back!"

"You're just like your mother, Raven..."

She shivered, "Don't say my name..."

He slowly comes up to her, "Why not Raven?" he says cynical, "Is there something the matter Ra-" the sword slashes his chest, he whimpers taking a step back.

"I-I told you not to say my name and to stay away from me!" she shouts terrified. _Did I just do that?_

Serenade sighs, "What have you done?" he says distantly, "And I saw us making up and cuddling-"

"You can never make up for the things you did, the people you hurt and the girls you... preyed on!" she rejects before looking down to the bloody swords blade, "And what you did to me..." she ends softly looking to the sand briefly, "What you would've done to me..."

"Very well," he replies darkly, "Then let us end this..."

"Not here... please..." she pleas softly. Immediately she energymelds herself and Serenade to another location of the beach away from the team, "This is between me and you... not them."

"Very well..."

The two have a stare off with each other waiting for the first attack, during this time it would've been perfect for any type of final battle background song to start...

He encircles her slowly, eyes locked on her. "Would you mind if I hurt you?" he serenades distantly, "Understand that I need too..."

His body goes down low in a prowling walk, "W-"

Raven closes her eyes, knowing the song she interrupts. "Wish I had other choices to harm the one I love..."

He briefly stops in his tracks as his ears go up in surprise, "I know I better stop trying, you know that there is no denying..."

_"It is your birthright..." _Arella's words came to mind then Cero's, _"You are the only one that can stop the Master!"_

"...I won't show mercy on you **now**!" he serenades lightly before pouncing at her, ending the last word with a loud bark.

Raven quickly throws up a hand and grabs Serenade with a dark talon then squeezes him. He growls as he is being squeeze, "I am the... ARBITER!" he howls with his black energy blooming out dissipating the talon that grasp him.

"Azarath, M-" she stops briefly seeing Serenade leap towards her with one paw raised behind him emitting his energy. She jumps back a short distance away, the massive paw smites the sand blowing some of it before rippling out a wave of his energy. Too fast to evade she flinches, but like before the energy buffed her but didn't harm her, she opens her eyes seeing Serenade recover. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" she chants quickly throwing up her empty hand... but nothing happened. _She blinked looking to her hand. What the hell? Where's my po-_

Serenade kicks lightly which made her go back rolling in the sand. She get's up to her feet quickly with the sand falling off of her.

"... I know I should stop believing. I know there's no retrieving..." Serenade continues where he left off, "it's over now!"

She see's the wreckage of the lifeguard post and Serenade leaning low about to pounce. _She throws her hand at the wreckage, nothing happened. Why aren't my power WORKING?_ Serenade growls, she turns hearing the growl, only to see a massive dog fly at her. _COME ON WORK!_ Again she throws her hand at the wreckage, her powers flare up and everything went flying towards Serenade.

Serenade gets clobbered by the numerous walls and wooden 4x4 supports, each of the breaking and splintering; it was just enough to stop his leap. He lands half way from her shaking his head from the debris that covered his face. Leaving one 4x4 Raven uses her power and bashes Serenade with it several time. Serenade grows barking out a burst of his energy energy that slowly arcs down at her.

Serenade's energy was slower than most other powers, so Raven was able to hover strafe to a side with it flying past as she continued to bash him. The energy booms behind her, the shock wave of energy knocks her forward, this time it harmed her slightly. Again she is rolling over the sand, kicking up sand every time she rolled. She picks her head up out of the sand quickly and sees Serenade gallop towards her. He came up over and stares down upon her with his steel fading lilac eyes, his dead numbed insane eyes surge chills through her body.

He continues, "I've... I've been waiting for someone like you! And now you are slipping away! Why!? Why does fate make us suffer!" He raises his paw above her, "There's a curse between us; between me and you!"

She throws up her hand and nothing happens, his paw stomps down upon her. Raven rolls facing upward, she swings slashing his stomping leg. Serenade roars then swats Raven with his other paw, ripping her cloak with his nails.

She's sent flying until she smacks a structure and then hits the sand face first. She struggles slightly to get up to her hands and knees. She looks up to Serenade who was starting his run to her, nearby she sees a white banner with bold red all capitols lettering, "ATV RENTALS HERE!"

She quickly looks to numerous ATV's in a neat line. With her powers, which thankfully worked this time, she immediately propels them all at Serenade. Serenade keeps his charge even with the ATV's striking him not enough to make him even flinch. He slides to a stop seeing the small ATV Rentals office coming at him.

The structure hits the sand and rolls, Serenade jumps over it and continues his dash. "... Zinthos!" she finishes a chant with a large gasoline tank flying at him.

He hops to the side dodging the tank completely, but the tank busted open splashing its fuel on him. Seeing a dark bolt of energy come at him he barks out beam of his energy that wipes away the dark bolt and strikes Raven explodes violently. She's shoots out of the explosion then comes down slamming into the sand bouncing on it harshly a few times before she comes to a stop.

"Would you mind if I killed you? Would you mind if I tried too? Because you have turned into my worst my enemy, you carry hate that I don't feel."

She attempts to get up but every fiber and cell within her body trembles painfully, the only thing she manages to do is to lift half her body with her hands. She feels his snout prodding her and sniffing her, his snout comes to her hair and he takes a deep sniff of her hair, "You smell good..." She spins over with glass vial in hand, but in before she let it go the top half, with the Otika Spice, flies off and sprays Serenade's face.

He backs off with a sneeze and shakes his head. Raven with both hands swings the with all her might and gashes deep within Serenade's upper rib cage. He hisses in pain and swings his paw blindly. Raven side steps away from his massive paw, but his nails rake her body, ripping her suit and slashing her body. She spins around with a wince; with one hand she rubs her slashes across her side.

She turns around to see Serenade's open mouth come at her, she swings the sword and flinches. It clinks loudly and stops abruptly, she opens her eyes seeing her swords blade stuck in Serenade's fangs. He chomps on the blade and rips out of her hands then tosses it to the side. He barks out a stream of his energy; with no time to react the stream strikes Raven and sends her into the sand. He continues his stream of energy, blasting her deeper and deeper into the sand. The stream of constant energy starts to flicker like a dying flashlight before it stops completely flowing from his mouth.

She shakes in pain as she lays in the sandy crater, she opens her eyes to see him looks down upon her. "Its over now..." he says before leaning into the crater and opening his mouth. He grabs her in his mouth and spits her to the floor. With his paw presses on her chest, "You think I want to kill you, Raven?"

"Don't say... my... name..." she struggles to say as the fumes of the gasoline made it hard for her to breathe.

He continues his serenade, "I will not fall, won't let it go, we will be free... when it ends." He looks down at Raven under his foot, who was struggling to escape. "I don't like to kill nice, soft, cuddly and attractive females... Especially one so unique as yourself, Raven." He presses her body back into the sand, she gives out a small squeak of breath, "Say it..."

"S-s-say what?!" she barely shouts running out of breath.

"I will let you have the final verse of the song..."

He pulls off his paw, to let her breath. She takes in a gasp of gasoline air, she coughs a bit as the gasoline fumes sting her lunges. She opens her eyes at the corner of them she sees the Ember Salts still in the half broken vial, inches from her grasp.

"I-I-I don't know the song..." she denies with her fingers extending out for the vial.

"Lies..." he rejects pressing on her body.

She grunts her last breath of air in her lunges and claws the sand making the vial come rolling into her fingers. "i-I-I..." she stutters with no breath. He lets her take a breath of air, "Okay... I w-w-will..."

"Serenade your last verse, Raven..."

She swallows hard, "I-I've been waiting for someone like you!" She looks up to him, staring into his eyes, "But now you are slipping away..."

Serenade closes his eyes, "Why? Why does fate make us su-"

With a nearby beach stone Raven smashes the vial against and grabs a pinch of the Ember Salts and tosses them at Serenade. The orange glowing salts sparkle and shimmer through the air just before touching Serenade, the fumes of the gasoline ignite instantly. Serenade flashes up in a giant flaming fire ball. He quickly jumps off her as he attempts to shake off he flames, but they continued their intense burning.

He whimpers out painfully before jumping into the dry sand, rolling around in it, but the inferno still raged on. He hears the water whooshing on the sand, he runs to the shore edge and jumps into the wet sand and rolls around it with the waves splashing against him. After a painful whole minute of burning alive the flames were subsided by the wet sand.

His charred body lays in the sand with the waves splashing him, panting painfully, wincing and hissing. Something drives through the side of his chest deeply, he lets a whimper and goes limp. He opens his eyes seeing Raven pulling out sword from his chest.

He blinks slowly as he lifts his head slightly off the sand, "Why would you betray me for? My... beloved?"

"Oh... Now you want to love me?" she monotones unmoved, panting hard, raising sword over head with both hands readying for another stab. She held the bloody blade over head,"Anything else to say... beloved?"

"Wh-why? Why does fate make us su-suffer? There's a curse betw-tween us, between me and..." His head lays back in the sand with his eyes closing, "You..."

She thrusts the blade back into his chest, he gives a light whimper. She leaves the blade still impaling Serenade and steps off him.

On his last breath he says, "When... love and death... embrace..."

- Titan Tower -

A couple of days pass... nobody really knows what happened to Serenade other than Raven's words, "I banished him from the Dimension." Since then she begins to read those old books within a just as old chest and meditates within her room; rarely coming out of her room.

But sometimes she can't help wonder and asks herself...

_Why did I do it for? Was it the right thing to do? Will I regret it? What will happen now?_

Unfortunately for Raven, only in due time shall it tell when, why and how...

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><p><strong>- Disclaimer -<strong>

Lyrics of the Song "**What Have You Done**" By **Within Temptation** were exchanged by both Serenade and Raven in their deadly Duet.


	17. A Lost Memory

**- A Lost Memory -**

- ? -

Meanwhile...

Still within the infinite white space, Arella continue to ponder...

_The Feral Beast Serenade has been slain... perhaps what I have foreseen will come true. Perhaps there is hope that the prophecy can be st- _ Her doves flutter in flight all of the sudden, she turns with her white energy shinning in the palm of her hand ready to be unleashed. She sees the small chihuahua Cero, but she was not easily fooled by his small cute stature, satellites for ears and gold marble size eyes.

"Who are you? And how did you get here?"

"So you are Arella?" Cero asks sitting down with large ears and eyes locked on her, "You were Azarath's previous Seeress?"

She scowls at him slightly, "Tell me what is your business here... demon."

Cero sits then scratches behind his ear, "There is much to converse about Arella... especially of the times of my Master and you."

Her hand erupts in a white flash, a white beam of energy smites into Cero unleashing a small bubble explosion of white energy. She watches as the white energy fades away leaving a sphere of smoke behind. The smoke clears only to show Cero still scratching his ear, unfazed.

She continues her scowl, "What are you an emissary of Skath? Trigon?"

Cero stands, "You see I have no idea who this Skath or Trigon you speak of are."

"Then who is your **Master, **demon?"

"My Master is the so called... **Feral Beast**..."

She raises a brow, "Serenade?"

"Yes and you we have much to converse about."

She turns away, "And why should I feel obligated to answer any of your questions... demon?"

"My name is Cero..." Cero introduces casually, "Oh... and because I can take back Raven's life right now if I wanted too..."

She huffs slightly balling up her hands into fist, "What is it that you wish to know?"

"I mean no harm to Raven really..."

"That's what all demons say... and I should know."

He tilts his head in wonder, "Really now?"

"Two of them changed my life... and will continue to affect Raven's." She closes her eyes, "But one of them has far more impact on both of us..." Her mind flashes a memory of her distant past...

_"Why?! Why does fate make us suffer?"_

"... Especially Raven's..."

"So you know too?"

She gives a weak ironic chuckle, "It seems your Master will continue to affect more lives... especially those who are female."

"The Master has always done so Arella," Cero agrees without a doubt. He tilts his head in wonder, "Does that bother you?"

"I had my opportunity but fate seemed to had a different choice for me and now... am nothing more but a lost memory..." She looks to Cero from the corner of her eye, "Don't you have to get back to your Master?"

"Only time will tell when the Master will need me..." He stretches out his body before laying down with ears focused on her, "Again... please do tell me of your times with the Master..."

"..."

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><p>A Short Chapter...<p> 


	18. A Demon's Caress

Been awhile, last add on to this story...

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><p><strong>- A Demon's Caress -<strong>

**- Epilogue -**

The organ player starts a low eerie lull as the young priestess stands alone within the Colosseum Her sights locked on the large gate that was before her. The organ continues to play its prelude of the horror of what rests beyond the gates bars; within its shadows. The sound of heavy foot steps comes to her ear along with the feel of a light tremble from the ground. The foot steps become louder, stronger than the one before it. Stones that laid across the ground start to vibrate vigorously, crawling away like bugs.

She takes a deep breath and remains standing, unfazed. The steps stop abruptly just behind the bars of the gate. A low feral growl echoes from the darkness behind the massive bars. The organ's lull comes to silence...

"Are you sure you wish to continue? You still have many years before this tria-"

She stabs the ground with her staff, "It is my destiny to become Seeress."

"The Hierarchs urge you to continue your trai-"

"No." He hand comes from her staffs head arcing slightly above her head, "I am ready to face the feral beast..." White energy crackles from the staffs crystal arching onto the palm of her hand, "I shall not fail."

A loud mechanical clunker noise comes from the gate, then is followed by a bone chilling metallic screech of the dead bolt. Then came the slow cranking of the gate; slowly it raises with the chains rattling. The gate raises fully stopping with a loud thump, locking in place to stay open. Silence over comes the Colosseum...

She stares within the darkness of the holding cell, waiting, expecting, bracing for what was to be the most fearsome, ferocious and feral creature ever known; an immensely powerful creature, one that slain her peoples leader... her mother.

She huffs, "Come out Feral Beast!"

Steel to fading lilac basketballs of eyes beam open from the darkness. A chill surges through her spine, rippling through out her entire body feeling the stare into her eyes, peering into her soul.

Her hand shines a vibrant white, palm thrown towards the darkness. A fiery bolt of the white energy erupts from her palm, "I said, show yourself FERAL BEAST!"

The fiery white ball twirls illuminating its flight path; the bolt disappears into the darkness. There is a loud thud like noise along with a white glow of the energy that barely escapes the darkness of the holding cell.

A loud snort comes from the dark, "You think that you can call on me?" a raspy feral voice speaks from the darkness unfazed by the young priestess's attack.

"Silence Beast! Come out and face your judgement!"

The eyes close, "You think that you can judge me?" the voice muses demonically.

"My mother's murderer shall not be permitted to li-" Dark flames flare out from the opening from the pin, giving off an ominous violet glow. The flames continue to creep out from the pin, the sound of a forest firestorm crackles loudly growing louder and louder as the flames climbing higher and higer; scorching the Colosseum's stone fabrication.

The organ starts as the firestorm continues, playing an awe inspiring prelude of terror of what the black flames concealed behind them. The large steel fading lilac eyes open, gazing through the flames that shrouded them. A heat wave belches out from the dark flames, "I didn't want your mother..."

Instinctively her arm shoots up shielding her face from the dust. The intense gale of wind rushes past her; her cloak and long violet hair ripple vigorously. The gale dies off and she returns to normal position, with the exception of her cloak's hood being stripped off over her head along with her hair drapping over her back and shoulders.

Slowly a mass ghastly shadow forms behind the black firestorm and as it became more apparent the organs tone grew more in a stricken climatic tone. "I desired you, Arella..."

Her soul trembles, goose bumps surge through her body. She gives a small snort of discomfort, "Enough!" she roars with her white energy immolating from her body, "Enough talk! This en-"

The ground trembles, the dark flames belch out in a line towards Arella, leaving a scorched earth trail. Arella stabs her staff into the ground instantly letting out a bloom of her white energy out. The two energy clash with each other, but the dark flames still came at her, the only thing she successfully done was alter their path and slow them down. The dark flames part two ways streaking past her; slamming into the Colosseum's walls behind her.

She regains her composure, "Is that it?"

A chuckle echoes out from the darkness, "So sure of yourself are you?"

"Ever since I was sixteen and the death of my mother I've been training vigorously for this..." she starts spitefully. She gives a quick sigh, "This is my destiny..." her grip on her staff tightens, "To become the Seeress I must slay you."

The dark flames die down, "Destiny eh?" the voice muses wisely, "Is it on ones free will or is it that bounds you?" Mist rolls out quickly from within the darkness, eeriely looming over the Colosseum's battle ground, "Then let us see..."

The mist begins to part in front of Arella revealing a darkened figure that seemed to be that of a horse standing tail. The steel lilac fading eyes appear opening up peering through the mist, staring down upon her. The mist fades, slowly unveiling a behemoth feral dog standing tall, fortified, sturdy like one of the temples defensive turret towers.

The feral beast itself had a sense of majesty, a deep chocolate brown coat with a beige undercarriage and snout along with a blushed beige face; just as a Snow Dogs. It's eyes steel fading to an inner lilac around its pupils; sharp like cold steel just as spellbinding as quartz bathing in the sun.

The Feral Beast sighs loudly. "Let the eternal struggle..." it slams the ground with its front paws, "... BEGIN!" it ends in a howl. -

- She closes the book quickly and sets it on her lap. Her purple eyes stare down upon the old leather bounded book with no title, nor an author; just an insignia of a dogs head, that had small quartz stones for eyes. She caresses the leather and the silver insignia with her fingertips, feeling ever bump of the leather and every ridge line of the silver insignia.

"Serenade..." she whispers distantly, "You liar... you did desire my mother..."

"You say something Rae?" Cyborg comments looking over his shoulder briefly from the TV screen.

"Nothing..." she monotones her normal raspy self.

Cyborg shrugs, "Suit yourself..."

She stares down upon the book. _Do I dare continue reading? Serenade is a thing of the past now...it's been three weeks. _The quartz eyes of the insignia glisten in the lighting of the room, she turns her head away only to eye it at the corner of her eyes. She sighs defeated like. _I guess there won't be any har-_

"Hey look everyone!" Beast Boy wails out to the room, grabbing Raven's and Cyborg's attention. He stood in Robin's cape and with one of Robins belts, "I'm Robin!" he announced heroically with a canny pose.

"You wish..." Raven sasses cracking open the book.

"I could so be like Robin!"

"You better put Robin's stuff back BB, before Robin sees you," Cyborg warns also resetting his attention.

Beast Boy does some Karate moves that he saw on the Kung Fu channel, "I have the reflexes of a Puma!" He throws a couple of fast jabs, "I can strike like the snake... unseen and deadly..."

Raven grunts, "You have the reflexes of salted snail..." she comments agitated trying to refocus on her reading.

"Uhn-uh!" Beast Boy pouts like a five year old boy to his six year old sister, "I bet I can throw this-" he reaches into a pouch on Robin's belt and pulls out a small black marble looking sphere, "-This spherey thing into that glass of water..."

Raven sighs, "Can you go be stupid somewhere else?" she snaps at him.

"Watch!" he brings back his arm.

"BB I don't think you should mess with that..." Cyborg cautions, "Who knows what that can be in your hand."

"Don't worry I got it under control..." Beast Boy replies naively, "Fire in the hole!"

Beast Boy slings the black marble, it hits the lip of the glass and bounces off it. The sphere then smacks into Raven's forehead painting her face in ink.

She growls, with temple pulsing, teeth clenched and eyes twitching shut closed, "Beast Boy..."

"Oh man!" Beast Boy hollers, he grabs the glass of water, "Stay still I'll get that goo off you!"

"No! Do-" water splashes her face in mid sentence.

The ink runs off from her face, down her chin before it rains down onto the open book. Beast Boy then uses Robin's cape as a towel drying off Raven's face. After a few seconds he pulls it off, "There you go... see I got it all off!"

She looks down at the book to see its pages drenched in the black water dye. She turns the page quickly, the page was the same; again she turns the page, again the same. She panics then starts to scrambles through the pages, but every page except the final page was lost.

"No..."

"I'm sorry Raven, I swear I'll buy you a new one!" Beast Boy blurts, "Even if I have to get a j-"

"You idiot!" she snarls, "That book was one of a kind!"

"Come on Raven? Who makes one copy of a book? I am sure there is another one somewhere..." Raven glares at him, "... uh... so what was it called?"

With a cold blank stare she says, "I can be Robin too..." Robin's belt comes off Beast Boy's waist. The Bird-a-rangs came above her in her dark energy, "It's my turn too practice..."

Beast Boy shrieks, "I'm sorry!" before running with hands on his head out the room.

She sighs with the belt and bird-a-rangs being placed on the table. Cyborg comes out from hiding from behind the sofa, "You're not going to be throwing those are you?"

She didn't reply as she looked at the final legible words on the last page...**  
><strong>

"...**A ****Demon's** **Caress **..."

What the last to words meant were unknown to her and she may never know their meaning...

**-End of Story-**

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><p>Thanks for reading... hope I can continue the next one.<p>

- Legal Stuff -

All Characters and Music, Lyrics belong to their respective owners/companies/copyrights and all that other jack rabbit stuff. Obviously Serenade and Cero, the Seeress title and the back story and non-original stuff is my own insane imagery. Again, thanks for reading...


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